Undercover Christmas
by lovelover123
Summary: After her return, Prentiss and Morgan are sent undercover to protect three children from an unsub who is still very much at large. Dealing with kids, as well as each other, during the holidays - Derek and Emily soon find out that nothing will ever be the same... as long as they make it out alive that is.
1. Prologue

**Hello loves! So the Christmas season just wouldn't be complete without a little Demily fluff. So, I hope you enjoy this Season 7 story about a little undercover operation I have planned for our two lovebirds.**

**I will continue to try and update throughout December and hope to be done by Christmas! **

**(And don't worry, I'm still working on finishing up Missing Moments)**

**Don't forget to leave a comment with your thoughts or suggestions! Thanks, and enjoy!**

**Thank you criss128 for being the best Demily BFF anyone could have and always being willing to talk me through my stories and also, just about life!**

**Thank you AnnKa for your continued support, beta-reading and for simply helping me organize my frazzled mind when it comes to our favorite CM couple!**

**And no, sadly I don't own Criminal Minds. But if I did, fan fiction would not be necessary.**

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**Prologue**

"The worst dream of the night, when you are parted from someone you love and you do not know exactly where he is, but you know that he is in the presence of danger. You are tormented by a desire to keep the one you love safe."

- Whitney Otto, _How to Make an American Quilt_ -

_"Hey babygirl," Derek answered the phone with a smile. Emily looked over at him while struggling to get Carter and Maggie out of their wet, snowy clothes. All they really wanted to do was dance and jump about gleefully to the Christmas music playing in the background. She assumed the tech was just checking in on the undercover operation as usual, but she shivered as she suddenly saw his smile drop and his eyes grow wide. "Someone's here," Derek whispered in her direction. She could read him better than anyone. Prentiss finally realized this was it; this is what they had been sent here to do. Her adrenaline immediately began pumping but she tried to remain calm._

_"Okay Garcia calm down. Is the team on their way?" But before his question could be answered, the line went dead. The tech's voice was only replaced by a flat beeping. "Garcia? Garcia?" he asked again before throwing the phone to the ground. _

_"They cut the lines." Derek began again as he turned to face his partner; his calm manner was quickly erased as he frantically grabbed for the two older children while Emily reached for the baby. As they started to stand, the lights above flickered and the music skipped. It happened once more until the house became deathly quiet and frightfully dark as the sun set outside the windows, allowing only a glimmer of light to Emily's eyes immediately found his in the midst of the rambunctious children, all still unaware of the changing atmosphere._

_The makeshift family hastily made their way across the master bedroom to the large walk-in closet that enclosed the hidden panic room. They could only hope they weren't too late. _

_"Sir, I have lost all contact with Morgan and Prentiss," Garcia exclaimed frantically from her lair into her microphone._

_"We're on our way," Hotch said in a tone much less monotone than usual, his worry over his two agents betraying him. "Keep me posted."_

_"Yes sir," she responded, the tears now streaming down her face. "Just get them out of there."_

_"We will Garcia," he replied with a firm kindness. "I won't let this team be broken apart again," Hotch added to assure the technical analyst but also himself as he drove along with the rest of the team across the city._

_Meanwhile, back at the house, Derek rushed his partner and the children into the doors within the closet and into the safe room. "Emily, no matter what happens, you stay here and keep the children safe," Derek commented as he bent down to place the kids on the floor and moved to look into her wide eyes._

_"No Derek, I am your partner, we are in this together. I am coming with you!" she fought back instantly._

_"These kids have lost enough already," he whispered quickly. "We have to keep them safe."_

_"But Derek I can help," Emily protested, her independence kicking into full gear._

_"Emily I have already lost you once, I will not let it happen again!" Derek said with a fear in his eyes that his partner instantly recognized as the same look he had on his face a night long ago in a dark warehouse where their lives had changed forever. "Stay here until the rest of the team arrives. Do not come out until you see one of them or I come get you," he added hastily as the lights flickered once more and finally went off all together._

_"Be careful," she whispered as she reached for his arm; her face only inches away from his own._

_"Always," he answered without hesitation. _

_Emily stepped closer to him, the sudden urge for him to hold her the way he had before overwhelmed her when she thought she might never see him again if the team didn't show up in time._

_Every part of Derek's heart and body longed to stay with Emily. He couldn't bear to let her out of his sight the way he had all those months before. But more than anything, he knew he had to protect her. So his brain took over his senses and he placed a hand on her cheek. "I'll be back," he muttered with a determined sigh. And with that, he was gone. She watched as he made his way out the door, giving her and the children he had grown to care so much about one last look._

_Emily sat in the dark safe room. The door was closed. The baby squirmed and squealed in her arms as she held him tightly, but she refused to let him go. She whispered comforting sounds to quiet the little boy while she reached for Maggie's small and quivering hand that was still cold from the snow. "Is Derek going to be okay?" she asked in a timid voice. _

_"Of course he is sweetie. We're all going to be okay soon," Emily whispered reassuringly even though her heart was doing flips in her chest. She snuggled closer to the little girl to comfort her all the while attempting to calm her fluttering heartbeat as she prayed for the team to have received their last message and arrive soon. _

_But her heart dropped when she heard the crashing of glass followed by gunshot and a loud thud from the floor below. Derek's words were instantly forgotten the moment her worry for him rushed into her. She had had enough. She placed the baby in the carrier on the floor in the room and quickly instructed Maggie to watch her younger brother. "Don't open the door for anyone but me or Derek," she told the frightened young girl._

_Emily rushed out both doors and quickly closed them behind her. She reached for her gun in the bedside table and made her way to the large stairwell, gun trained before her. She finally descended the stairs, eyes and ears taking in every single sound as her adrenaline pumped wildly. She couldn't stop her mind from wandering to the fact that this was certainly the most interesting Christmas she had ever had._

_The foyer was empty and she trained her attention on the family room to the right. She had only lived there a week but she couldn't help the sadness that overcame her as she saw the evidence of how the struggle had ruined the Christmas tree they had all put up together. Emily looked around and followed the signs of the struggle with her eyes. She suddenly rushed over to the corner of the room where she saw the French doors had come off of their hinges and were both lying amongst shattered glass and broken decorations on the hardwood floors. However, it was the two bodies that were lying lifelessly on top of them and the blood spattered all around them, that made her breath catch in her throat. _

_"Morgan!" Emily breathed out. But before she could make her way over to the still forms, a searing pain hit her back and she was flung to the ground. Her head hit the cold wooden boards with a thud and the last thing she saw was her partner's lifeless form on the floor of the room only feet from her as she thought of the helpless children she had left upstairs alone._


	2. A Case and A Crisis

**Hello all! I just wanted to thank everyone for your incredible support and inspiring reviews. You are truly the best reading community ever. (Especially AnnKa & criss128 whom I couldn't do this without!) So here is the next chapter in my little Christmas story. Naturally, it is set before the prologue and explains just why our agents were where they were… but we've got a bit longer to go. Hope you enjoy. This really just involves a lot of set up but I'm working on the next chapter now so be looking for an update again soon! Thanks again and don't forget to leave a comment, idea or suggestion!  
**

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**A Case and A Crisis**

_"Friendship - my definition - is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble."_

_- Stieg Larson, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo -  
_

"Come on Em,, you're falling behind!" Derek called with a turn of his head as he jogged down the park path.

"It's called pacing myself genius," Emily retorted with a roll of her eyes and a smile in her partner's direction.

"Well maybe you had better pick up the pace Princess. We've got one more lap before I beat you and you get to buy my breakfast yet again. Coffee, two sugars please. You know how I like it," he laughed.

Though she was almost directly behind him, Morgan was determined to win this match. He was far too competitive for his own good. Any edge he thought he might have to win on their traditional runs that turned into races he would take. Especially since Emily nearly always won. He really didn't mind of course. He was just thankful to have her there with him at all. It hadn't been long since Emily had returned from "the dead" after he had held her in the warehouse after her fight with Doyle, pleading with her to stay with him as though her death would mean his too. Now she was back and Derek couldn't imagine a time when he'd been happier.

Since her return, they had stayed by each other's side as though their lives depended on it. Late night movies, working on case files together, dinner at all of Emily's favorite restaurants she had missed while in Europe. Morgan had even suggested they train together after one of their first cases back to make himself feel more comfortable with her back in the field. She may have only believed it was because he still didn't trust her even if he told her every day that it wasn't; but truthfully, Derek didn't trust himself. When he was in the field, all he cared about now was keeping Emily safe. He never wanted to go through losing her again. It wasn't just that he feared it but that he knew if it happened again, he couldn't survive the pain. The more he thought about it, the more terrified his feelings made him of just how attached he really was to his partner, his best friend. He was terrified because in his mind, she was becoming so much more.

"Don't be too sure," Emily smiled as they rounded the lap's final curve. They raced ahead, struggling to gain a lead on the other as they had now pushed themselves as fast as they could go, eyeing the coffee cart near the swings in front of them. Anyone watching could see the fog of their breaths before their faces in the cold December air. One might think it was their exhaustion, but they were merely laughing all the way.

As usual, Emily won. Derek began to form excuses and protests to retort with but was stopped by the buzzing of his cell phone resting on his side. "This better not be a case babygirl," Derek answered after recognizing the familiar name on the screen.

Emily made her way to the coffee cart while Derek was on the phone. She had just sat on one of the swings when Derek walked over to her. She handed him his coffee and he looked at her with a look of surprise. "I still won," she smiled taking a sip of her own. She looked at him expectantly to sit down on the swing beside her and drink his coffee as he usually did after their morning runs.

"Thanks Princess," he grinned guardedly. "But I'm afraid we're going to have to take this to go."

"Oh no," she muttered.

"Yeah, Garcia says we've got a case that can't wait. But at least it's local," he added, trying to lift both of their spirits despite the fact that their day of working out together had been cut short. They had even been planning on Christmas shopping for the team that afternoon since lately, they barely did anything without the other, but now, they would just have to wait.

"Well, I guess we have no choice then." Emily resigned.

"Come on," Derek said as he reached for her hand. She placed her glove-covered hand in his and he pulled her up. They began walking side by side to Derek's car.

"So much for Christmas shopping," Emily commented. "Well I guess I just won't have time to get you anything this year," she joked with a look at her partner.

"Don't worry about it," Derek replied nonchalantly, catching Emily off guard. They _always _bought Christmas presents for each other. It was just an understood tradition. Sure the team did a gift exchange but every year Morgan and Prentiss would slip the other a little something extra – a first edition Vonnegut book, tickets to a show Emily wanted to see or a game Derek couldn't stop talking about – they never forgot about the other.

She had thought he would still be excited about it but guilt crept back into her mind as she thought perhaps they weren't mending as fast as she thought. Thinking that maybe they couldn't go back to the way they were at all truly terrified her. She had tried everything to make sure he trusted her again, but she thought that maybe it just wasn't enough. Had her unwilling lie really changed their relationship so much?

She decided to forget it. Perhaps after the case she would mention it, ask him if they were okay like she did almost on a weekly basis. But for now, she determined to focus on the case at hand, even if the worry lingered in her heart.

The partners drove along, sipping their coffee and talking, all the way to the FBI building. Luckily they had their go-bags with them as usual and changed into work clothes in the locker rooms. Then they met with the rest of the team to discuss the case.

Rossi began to address the group from his seat as they all sat at the roundtable. "In the past few months, I've been consulting on what we thought could possibly be a serial case. But the unsub hit again last night and after some discussion with Hotch, we believe it's time for the team to take the case to another level before he claims anymore victims."

"This unsub had hit three times locally in the past two months. Kills are usually three weeks apart from each other. Last night, he hit again. We think we are dealing with a parent annihilator since the children are unharmed in each of the attacks," Hotch added.

"Not emotionally I'm sure," Prentiss commented sadly.

"Who would do something like this? Especially at Christmas; it should be the most wonderful time of the year for them. Those poor kids," Garcia said with wet eyes as she sat in her blinking Christmas sweater complete with Santa earrings.

"That's what we're going to find out," Rossi chimed in with a fatherly, comforting tone.

Hotch thought of Haley for a moment but composed himself and continued. "In the first three kills, the parents were murdered by single gunshot wounds to the head after being bound, execution style. The photos of each of these crime scenes are on your tablets."

"The kills are clean and neat. Rage and aggression aren't obvious in any of these. What is this guy after?" Derek pondered out loud as he flipped through the photos.

"That's just it. This unsub is clearly after only one thing. Each family had an infant son or daughter approximately six to eight months old along with other children. The nursery is always where the parents are killed. The morning after every couple was discovered murdered, the babies are nowhere to be found."

"But why leave the older children and just take the babies? If the unsub can successfully get into the houses at night, why not just take the infant and go? Why run the risk of getting injured or caught and take the time to kill the parents at all?" JJ asked.

"There has to be a deeper motivation for these crimes apart from taking the infants." Reid commented.

"That brings us to our final kill," Hotch intervened. "Claire and Thomas Foster. They had three children ages four, three and a seven-month-old infant. You can see from the photos Garcia has uploaded to your tablets that this kill is vastly different from the rest."

"Three gunshots to the husband, five to the wife, and bruising on the faces and bodies. Were they tortured too?" Prentiss asked.

"It appears so. The unsub was definitely caught off guard with this kill. The Fosters were out Christmas shopping last night. Their children were with a sitter in another area of the neighborhood. She's a college student home for Christmas break so she kept the children at her parents' house so the Fosters could get the presents in unnoticed. Investigators believe they came home first in order to unload the presents before going to pick up the children. When the couple didn't come at the time they had told the sitter, she tried them on the phone but couldn't reach them. After a few hours, her father drove to the Foster home and discovered their SUV parked in the driveway, doors still open, but the inside of the house was dark. That's when he called the police."

"So the unsub got angry the children were gone and took it out on the parents. Perhaps that's why he beat them, in order to get information on where the children were," Reid surmised.

"There's no way the Fosters would give up the location of their children. So instead, they died protecting them." Prentiss concluded sadly.

"Exactly. But now, the unsub has experienced another stressor, most likely even greater than the one that set him off on this spree in the first place. He'll become even more reckless in his hunt for the child," Rossi said.

"How do we know it's a man?" Derek asked.

"We don't. However the strength it takes to subdue the parents suggests that conclusion," Rossi answered to which the team nodded in agreement.

"JJ's time at the Pentagon has allowed us some pull with Social Services as well as the Witness Protection Program. Local investigators have hit a dead end. They've turned the case over to the FBI, more specifically, the BAU. It's our turn to investigate." Hotch added onto the discussion.

"So what's our next move?" Reid asked expectantly.

"That's just it," Rossi began to explain. "With a situation like this, we have to wait for the unsub to move again in order to get any leads. We can't afford to let that happen. But we do have some leverage in the situation. We possess something the unsub still wants: the children."

"You mean use the kids a bait?" Emily asked with obvious disgust.

"Precisely." Rossi began. "We know the unsub will have to finish the job he started. The ritual isn't complete. He wants the baby, so we'll provide the opportunity to find it. The children have been in protective custody with social services since early this morning. They don't have any relatives we can find at the moment so, we've decided to place them in the care of two agents who will go undercover and act as foster parents in order to protect the kids until the unsub is caught, or more than likely, until he strikes again. As profilers, these agents can also observe any individuals who come in contact with the family on a regular basis and perhaps prevent an attack in the first place. We can't put them in the care of foster parents who would be easy targets for the unsub."

"We've already obtained one of the FBI safe houses in the city for this mission. Technical and security information is being set up on Garcia's system as we speak," Hotch added.

"So, wait. One of _us _is going undercover?" Morgan asked the team leader.

"Actually two of you," Hotch answered, trying to hide a smile.

Only then did Morgan and Prentiss notice their team members' eyes all moving towards them as they sat side-by-side at the roundtable.

"_Us!?" _Emily asked as she made a gesture with her hand between herself and her partner.

"It makes sense," JJ was the first to speak, not afraid to hide her smile. "You're great partners and we've all seen how you both interact so well with kids."

Morgan and Prentiss looked at each other, knowing they were outnumbered even if they wanted to protest. They both loved kids, they didn't have any immediate family of their own, and they'd been apart for so long, they were both excited for more time with their best friend. But so many issues still lingered in their minds.

Of course there was the very real danger of a deadly unsub hoping to swoop in at any minute. However, the agents' personal fears ran so much deeper than that.

"We were hoping to get you both moved in as soon as possible so the kids can move in tonight. Of course we hope to have this resolved by Christmas. What do you say?" Rossi asked, pulling them out of their nervous thoughts.

"That's it? Just send us in where we're basically sitting ducks for a killer with _three_ children who don't even know us? There has to be a better way!" Emily responded.

"This unsub will not stop until he or she gets what their looking for – the baby. We can't expect any set of foster parents to take on that responsibility and danger. We need trained eyes in the lives of the Fosters who can also protect these children to the best of their ability," Hotch explained, hoping the partners would come around to the unconventional idea.

"But are we really the best choice?" Morgan asked, causing Emily to look at him questioningly. Did he really not trust her enough to go undercover together?

"You two have proven yourselves in the field. Emily, you protected Declan when no one else could and when you were gone, Morgan was the only one finishing what you started. Morgan you also kept Ellie safe. Not just in the field but you ensured her reunion with her mother. Not to mention you both have experience in undercover work; Prentiss with Interpol and Morgan as a cop."

"It is the most logical choice," Reid chimed in.

"Reid is right. The unsub will no doubt come back after the children. They'll need the best protection possible," JJ agreed.

"So then set up agents to guard their foster home until the unsub strikes," Derek offered as a suggestion.

"That's just the problem sweet cheeks. These families were all connected somehow. Same preschool, same church, or same business. They're all intertwined. We're just not quite sure how yet. I've searched all the logical connectors but there's nothing that stands out about all of them that makes it obvious as to why this unsub acts the way he does."

"That's why we need eyes not just on their lives but _in _them. By having you act as parents, going along with their daily routine, as profilers, you can hopefully figure out the connection. These crimes are too premeditated to be random. Someone knows these families and therefore, carefully chose them as a target," Rossi furthered the explanation.

"Alright," Morgan finally conceded. "Above all, we have to keep these kids safe. I'll do it. Em?" he looked at her expectantly.

"Well I guess I'm in if you are," Emily said hesitantly after a moment with another glance in Morgan's direction.

"Are you sure?" he leaned in and asked her softly.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" she replied defensively. Emily's anger grew. She wanted to be sure her relationship with Morgan was repaired, but his words made her continually doubt his trust of her.

"Alright," he conceded. "Then it looks like _we _are getting married Princess," he responded with a wink of his still worried eyes, to which she only rolled hers. Emotions were welling up inside of her, memories and feelings she just couldn't ignore, and all she wanted to do was escape the roundtable room that she suddenly felt was caving in on her as she thought of the prospect of going back undercover.

Everyone exited the room to prepare for the undercover plan except Morgan and Prentiss who lingered last only to Rossi.

"Are you sure you're alright with this? It's okay if you don't feel comfortable. We can tell Hotch if you aren't up to it." Morgan said under his breath as he stopped Emily before they both walked out the door.

"Obviously you aren't," Emily immediately spat out, brushing him off and storming towards her desk.

"Ah wedded bliss," Rossi smiled as he walked up to a thoroughly confused Agent Morgan. "Take it from me, not matter what, she's right. Even if she's wrong, she's right. Got it?" He joked.

"I don't understand. She was fine before we were briefed on the operation and now this? I just ask her if she's okay and then she bites my head off."

"You're partners. One little argument won't come between you. Her supposed death didn't right? So you'll get through it. And this case will be over soon enough so we can _all _enjoy the holidays." With that, he left him alone. The younger man hoped Dave was right, but he still wasn't so sure.

Derek walked out to the parking lot to catch up with his partner as it had been decided that Morgan and Prentiss would go to their homes to pack as quickly as they could. The rest of the team would set up the house and meet them there. They walked out to the government issue SUV they would be sharing for the undercover operation. Though nerves and the preoccupation of the possibility of an unsub seemed to distract them both, Morgan couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong with Emily and somehow, it was his fault. He just hoped he could fix it before it ruined their upcoming assignment.


	3. First Fight

_Hello dears! So here is the next chapter! Thank you SO much for the reviews – they make me so happy! Thanks again to AnnKa & criss128 who I couldn't write without! I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to hear what you think. I promise I will update soon so you can get to see the interaction with the kids.  
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**First Fight**

"_**The course of true love never did run smooth."**_

_**-William Shakespeare-**_

"Emily what is it?" Derek turned to ask his partner as they drove along towards their homes.

"Nothing," she said, face still turned away from him toward the passenger window. He knew her far too well to believe that and pressed on.

"Em come on, I know you. What's wrong?"

"Derek, just forget it. Those kids shouldn't come to their new home and see Mommy and Daddy already fighting."

"No. We're going to talk about it right here, right now. We have to go into this case united and we can't do that this way. Our job is to keep the kids safe _together_," he replied determinedly as he continued his stare on her.

"But you don't think I can," she replied angrily, finally opening up to him.

"What?" he asked with confusion.

"I saw your face when you found out we might have to go undercover together," she spat back at him. "Not to mention your numerous excuses to get us out of it or the way you continually asked me if I was really up to it. You may have told me otherwise when I came back but I know you don't trust me anymore," she told him. Her anger had now been taken over only by the hurt in her eyes. She turned her head back away from him to hide the welling tears she was desperately trying to hold back.

"Emily," Derek sighed softly as he parked in the driveway of his house. "Emily please look at me," he pleaded to which she finally turned in her seat to face him. "Of course I trust you. I trust you with my life. I know why you did what you did even though you fought it from the beginning," Emily's face was suddenly filled with surprise. "Yes, JJ told me how angry you were with them. But it was the only way to keep you safe. It killed me to have you gone but now knowing why, I wouldn't have had it any other way and neither would anyone else on the team."

Emily was softening but her anger and worry had not yet disappeared. "So then why did you seem so opposed to the idea of us going undercover?"

"I wasn't opposed to it. Yes, I'll admit it, I was worried."

"I knew it," she scoffed with the interruption.

"Let me finish Em," Derek cut her off. "I _was_ worried. I still am. But not for the reasons you think. I don't doubt your abilities at all. There's no one else I could imagine going undercover with other than you. I'm not worried _about _you in the job, I'm worried _for _you – just you. I know the last time you went undercover was with Doyle. We've spent enough time together since you've been back for me to know that it still affects you."

They looked into one another's eyes, both thinking of the nightmares that still haunted Emily in her sleep. Derek had spent most all of his time with her since she had returned. He knew, though Doyle was gone for good, the memories still visited Emily at night. He was the only one who knew because of how close they were now.

Sometimes they'd fall asleep on the couch watching a movie or just stay up talking so late that one would stay in the other's guest bedroom. The middle of the night would bring the terrified screams and the tears. And always, Derek would come running. He was always there to help pull her out of the terror. He never stayed all night even though he wanted to, she tried to appear strong and the guilt always got the best of her when he offered, even though she longed for him to stay with her too. But he made sure she was all right before going back to his own bed – to sit with her, talk with her or just to hold her and remind her that she wasn't alone anymore. She was back home with her family where she belonged.

Derek began to speak again, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I would never think that it would affect your abilities in the field. You're too good of an agent for that and you know how important it is to keep these kids out of the unsub's grasp. I was worried about you personally. I just didn't want this to be any harder than it needs to be emotionally if it reminds you of before. I care about you Em. You're my partner and I hate to see you in pain. So I didn't want this situation to bring you anymore if it was at all avoidable," Derek finished sincerely, never breaking his gaze into her eyes.

Emily could only stare back, guilt washing over her as she realized how wrong she had been to assume the worst of Derek. "I'm so sorry," she finally breathed out, looking down in embarrassment.

"Don't be," he immediately said with comfort. "I shouldn't have brought it up to begin with, especially in front of the team. I just worry about you Em."

"I know. But you don't have to," she offered.

"Yes I do," he instantly replied. Emily just smiled gratefully. She was independent and very much used to taking care of herself because of the way she hid her feelings so it was hard for her to accept any sort of protection. But the more she thought about it, the more thankful she was that a man like Derek Morgan wanted to protect her. She knew there was no reason to fight it. After all she knew he deserved to worry after all her Doyle saga had put her through, had put them both through. He was the one who noticed from the beginning and the way he cared had been one of the only reasons she was still alive today.

As if he was reading her mind, he continued speaking. "You chose to deal with it on your own last time. I know it was for our protection but not this time Em. Like I told you before, you are not alone. I'm here for you no matter what. Promise me you'll tell me if you need to this time."

"I promise I will. Thank you for caring.," she smiled.

"Always," he said, not skipping a beat. "So are we good?" Derek asked with a relieved sigh.

"Always," Emily replied with their signature word and a wink. "So should we call this our first fight as a married couple?" Emily laughed, lightening the mood.

The crisis avoided, Derek packed his belongings and they moved on to Emily's apartment. She took much longer than Morgan of course. He continually rushed her so they could get to the house but she wanted to make sure she was completely prepared. It was decided that Garcia would come pick up Sergio that night so Emily gave him a treat and kissed him goodbye.

The agents finally left and followed the directions Garcia had sent to their phones to get to the FBI safe house. They turned into a distinguished looking neighborhood. Massive brick houses lined the road, all partially hidden by large trees. The lots looked private enough, but the homes were still closer together that a familial community for children seemed present. It would certainly be the perfect place to raise three kids, the partners commented.

Derek turned the car onto the road specified in the directions. They drove to the end, noticing a jumble of cars at one particularly large house at the center of the cul-de-sac they were approaching. Though still nervous, Emily couldn't withhold her excitement as they drove closer. Derek too was smiling at the sight as thoughts of his housing projects ran quickly through his mind.

They met the team in the garage, hidden from prying neighbors' eyes. "You should all bow to me, the great goddess of technology, because I have set up everything you will need. Both of you get to keep your names, first names that is. You are now Derek and Emily Phillips. You were married five years ago after you met on a blind date and have been hopelessly in love ever since. You decided to become foster parents hoping to adopt since you can't have children. Morgan, you run a very successful online consulting firm from home. Emily you were an English professor who now wants to be home more to raise your new children and help your husband with his growing business. I think your new little family should also have a pet cat named Sergio because the kids would all love it," Garcia squealed before continuing. "But Hotch wouldn't allow it."

"Three kids?" Emily joked. "I'm pretty sure Sergio would be terrified."

"Well I'll take good care of him love. So, are you ready to see the house?"

"Wait!" Reid exclaimed. "You'll need these," he spoke as he pulled out two sparkling wedding rings, one with a striking teardrop diamond framed in the center.

Reid reached to hand them each the rings but Derek caught his hand first. "Hey my best man, isn't that my job?" he asked with a childish grin plastered on his face. He moved to grab Emily's still extended hand and quickly but delicately slid the large diamond ring onto her fourth finger.

"Derek Morgan if you think you're carrying me across the threshold you are greatly mistaken." Emily joked, trying to divert attention away from the rather unusual situation.

"Come on lovelies! I'll take you on the tour," Garcia cried as she rushed over to them.

"Take Emily babygirl. I've got to stay here with Hotch and get the information for the security procedures before the kids get here."

"Oh you're such a bore," Penelope grumbled. "But I still love you," she blew a kiss in his direction.

"You better," Derek winked and the girls were off. Garcia excitedly showed Emily every single inch of the home: the dining room, the family room, the office, which would double as their command headquarters, the sprawling kitchen filled with food Garcia had bought them, and the beautiful screened in back porch that opened to a fenced in yard with a swingset and slide. They then made their way up the staircase in the center of the foyer to show the bedrooms.

After touring the playroom and each of the children's bedrooms which had already been filled with their clothes and toys, Garcia led Emily and JJ to her own favorite room of the house: the master bedroom. She opened the doors to reveal a beautifully decorated suite that encompassed half of the entire upstairs floor plan. The immense space was filled with a four-poster king bed framed below large windows. The walkway to the closets and bathroom was where the ladies ventured first. The jet filled hot tub caught Emily's interest at first but it was the safe room hidden within the closet that became her favorite feature of the custom FBI home.

Garcia led them back out and gestured dramatically with her hands to show off the bedroom once more. Past the bed and furniture across the room, an alcove with a couch and chairs stood in front of a flat screen TV.

"Look, there's even a sitting room connected to the master bedroom. The couch has a pull out bed where you can send Morgan when he's been especially naughty," Garcia said suggestively.

"_Garcia!_" Emily exclaimed in shock, face turning red, while JJ only laughed along with the tech.

"You're going to be sharing a bed with Derek Morgan Em, you better get used to it," JJ said.

"We are _not _sharing a bed. I'm sure one of us will just sleep on the couch," Emily quickly replied, hoping to move on from the uncomfortable conversation.

"Yes, yes I know you'll be all professional and no fun. But I can dream can't I?" Garcia pouted.

"Come on, the kids should be getting here soon," JJ said, sensing Emily's frustration and making her way toward the door.

"Alright but babe you better believe we have to be the first to know if anything juicy happens," Garcia finished her teasing.

The team joined together once more in the dining room. Hotch asked Morgan and Prentiss once more if they were up to the undercover assignment and they both replied "Yes" without hesitation.

JJ had set up a schedule of the Foster's weekly routine including the children's preschool times, play groups, and other events so Derek and Emily could take them in order to get to know the people the families had interacted with on a regular basis.

Garcia handed Derek and Emily each a company credit card that Hotch specified was for necessities only. However, even the usually serious team leader showed he was just as exited about the holidays as the rest of the team. "If kids are going to live in this house, you are in serious need of Christmas decorations. At least a tree," he smiled. "I certainly would consider that a necessity."

"Well we'd better get out of your way," Rossi started the goodbyes. "The kids will arrive in a couple of hours and Christmas Eve is only a week from today so let's hope we can catch this unsub before then. Be careful."

"We'll have daily team updates over video chat and I've got the security cameras all set up on my system. Just keep building that profile and get these kids out of danger. You can call me anytime and you better text me everything about those precious little munchkins!" Garcia said without stopping to catch her breath.

"We promise we will," Derek assured the tech with a hug.

"I brought these for the kids," Reid said as he held up a handful of mind games and puzzles for young children. "I really enjoyed them as a child. Oh, and this," he added as he pulled out a fairytales storybook. "I hope they'll like these too."

"Of course they will," Emily hugged Reid as Derek patted him on the shoulder and took the toys from his hands.

"Em if you need anything, just let me know," JJ said to her friend, thinking of her own Henry.

"Thanks JJ. I probably will. Three kids… It's going to be an adventure all right." Emily sighed with worry.

"You'll do great. I've always said you'd make a great mom. Plus you've got Morgan to play the role of dad, which we all know he's perfect for, so you'll be fine!" JJ smiled at both of them, her motherly experience seemed to help calm Emily down.

The team finally pulled away, leaving Morgan and Prentiss in the big house to wait all alone for the children to arrive and to think about the fact that there was absolutely no turning back. All they had now was each other.


	4. Bedtime

_Hello lovelies! So here is the next chapter! Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been working and travelling and certainly lacking in my writing time._

_Thank you everyone for reviewing – I hope you enjoy this next installment and please don't forget to leave your comments._

_Thank you again to AnnKa & criss128 – my favorite Demily ladies for being a constant help with everything! Lots of love!_

_Well, as promised, you will meet the children in this chapter, yay! I hope you love them as much as I do! _

_So, without further ado, enjoy!  
_

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**Bedtime**

"_**She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms and sleep as a child sleeps, knowing that someone stronger than you is protecting you from all evil and all danger." **_

_**― Paulo Coelho, Brida**_

Derek and Emily had used the time after the team had left the house to unpack their bags and get settled into their new surroundings. They carefully avoided any talk about the sleeping arrangements; each hoping the other would bring it up eventually.

Around 5:30 that evening, Morgan and Prentiss made their way to answer the sound of the doorbell. Both of the agents had been calm as usual but the arrival of the children brought butterflies to both of their stomachs. They opened the large double doors at the front of the house and saw four figures before them.

The woman in the center introduced herself as Mrs. Collins, the social services representative taking care of the children. She was a stern woman who seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face. The fact that her daily life consisted of interacting with children astonished both Derek and Emily. After they all moved into the living room, the woman began to speak in a gruff and rushed voice. "Children, these are the Phillips. You will live with them from now on."

She then motioned to the young child she was holding in her arms, "This is Ben. He's six months old." Emily reached out and took baby Ben as the woman shoved him her way while continuing introductions.

"Carter, say hello," she said impatiently to the shy little boy beside her. With one hand holding hers and the other with his thumb in his mouth, the little boy only looked with wide eyes at the pair of strangers before him. "He's a terribly shy and quiet boy. I doubt you'll get two words out of him. I haven't," she continued when she didn't receive a response from the boy. Mrs. Collins pointed to the little girl last. "And this is Maggie. She is four years old," she began but was cut off by the child's high-pitched voice.

"No, I'm four and a _half_," she enunciated towards the agents, earning wide smiles from them but only a glower from the older woman. Maggie still had a pleased look on her face with four little fingers of one hand sticking in the air while the other clutched a stuffed dog tightly to her chest. "I get to start Kindergarten next year," she added animatedly to the two.

"That is so exciting," Emily responded to the little girl with a beaming smile as she carefully knelt down in front of her. "I'm sure you will love school. My name is Emily. And this is Derek," she pointed to her still-standing partner.

"Yes, yes well I really should be off," Mrs. Collins interrupted rudely. "All of their things have been delivered I presume."

"Yes. We can take it from here," Derek responded with a bit of impatience of his own.

"Well they haven't eaten dinner. They'll need baths as well before bedtime. The earlier the better I'd say," the woman continued in a disinterested voice.

"I'm sure we'll all get along just fine," Emily interjected. "May I show you to the door Mrs. Collins?" Emily added a bit too excitedly in order to get the unpleasant woman to leave.

"Indeed," she replied with a huff and made her way to the door. Emily gratefully showed her out and came back into the living room.

"Do we have to go back with her?" Maggie asked nervously, her dislike of the woman not hidden in the slightest.

"No, I'll make sure of that." Derek responded instantly as he looked at Emily, both knowing they would be making a call to social services about the disagreeable Mrs. Collins.

"Are you our new mommy and daddy then?" Maggie asked bluntly as Prentiss returned to her side.

Morgan and Prentiss only looked at one another, not expecting to have to answer a question like that so soon. Derek bent down and placed a hand on Maggie and Carter before he spoke. "Maggie, I want you to know that no one could ever replace your Mom and Dad. But now, Emily and I are here to take good care of you if you'll let us. Is that okay?" Derek asked, sadness overcoming himself and his partner as they realized that eventually, these children would have to go through yet another transition once their task of finding the unsub was complete. However, for now, Derek and Emily both resolved to give these children the best atmosphere they could after the horror they had been through.

Maggie nodded her head in excitement; the happy child was still unaware of the gravity of the situation. Morgan turned his head to Carter after a smile towards the little girl. The shy little boy only looked at the couple and Derek made it his goal to help him feel more comfortable.

"Okay, so do you guys want to see your new house?" Derek asked them with excitement he hoped would affect them too. Maggie squealed a happy and expectant "Yes!" While Carter merely nodded as his sister did.

The showed the children around, hoping it to overwhelm them. Then, the makeshift family travelled upstairs and were showed their new parents' bedroom. They then took the children to their own room where all of their belongings from their old house had been brought. Garcia and JJ had also gone a bit crazy with their own toy purchasing and the kids experienced a mini-Christmas discovering their new toys.

The surrogate parents got down on the floor, playing with the children. It was then that they realized that Carter had just as much, if not more, personality than his sister. All he needed was a bit of attention and a hint if love that Mrs. Collins hadn't provided. They played for awhile until the new family decided it was time for dinner, making their way downstairs.

"I'm pretty sure Garcia bought us enough chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese to feed a small army," Emily chuckled as the opened the freezer.

"You can never go wrong with those two options," Derek replied.

"Well of course not. It's one of my favorite foods. But I'm buying fruit and vegetables tomorrow," Emily added.

"Oh I'm sure the kids will just love that," he replied sarcastically.

"That's why you mix it into the food and nobody will know the difference."

"Look at you learning all the sneaky mom tricks already," Derek laughed at which Emily nodded with a smile in return. "Alright, what can I do to help?" he asked moving by her side at the stove.

"Well, I'll do the pasta if you can put the nuggets in the oven and then get Ben's baby food ready."

"Will do _Mrs. Phillips_," he emphasized her undercover married name as she only rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide the grin that came to her face.

The children played in the family room while their new parental figures made their dinner. Emily and Derek had laid the food out cleanly and neatly before they brought the kids over to their chairs and placed the baby in the highchair. The food did not stay that way for very long.

The partners took turns feeding the baby who enjoyed putting his hands in his food more than he did eating it, creating quite the mess. Maggie, ever the little princess, at delicately but she couldn't keep the ketchup on the nuggets and the milk in her cup; instead it fell on the floor, table or on her clothes – everywhere but in her mouth that is. Carter on the other hand wasn't making a mess at all simply because he wasn't eating anything off his plate.

Emily volunteered to take a turn with food tornado baby Ben while Derek attempted to get Carter to eat his food. After a few failed attempts, the classic food on the spoon is an airplane charade did the trick. Carter giggled infectiously as the other children joined in with him. "Daddy does that for Carter too," Maggie laughed along, not noticing the sad look Derek and Emily gave one another at that moment at the use of the present tense the little girl used to speak of her father.

Soon, dinner was over and baths were a necessity seeing as how only half of the food ended up in the kids' stomach while the rest ended up simply _on_ them. Derek took charge of the baby and kitchen clean up while Emily took care of Carter and Maggie upstairs. Much like dinner, the water did not stay where it belonged either, landing on the floor or on Emily's clothes rather than in the tub. But the children were laughing and playing with their toys so Prentiss didn't mind at all; just happy the kids were happy despite all they had been through.

Emily was putting Maggie and Carter and their pajamas when she saw that Derek had experienced the same luck she had. He came through the door with a happily squealing, clean baby and a very soaked shirt. She couldn't help but laugh at him, prompting the children to laugh right along with her.

"You're all wet," Carter giggled with a pointed finger.

"Are you sure Ben didn't give _you _a bath Derek?" Emily chuckled along with the children.

"Very funny you all," Derek said although he couldn't help but smile back at them.

Morgan and Prentiss then switched roles. Emily went to put the baby to bed in the nursery after Maggie and Carter hugged and kissed their little brother goodnight. She rocked him gently for just a bit and he fell asleep instantly in her arms, obviously exhausted from the trauma of the past 36 hours.

At this point, Derek took the older two kids to brush their teeth. As if he wasn't wet enough already, the still giddy children thought it would be funny to fling their water on him as it ran from the faucet, creating a rather messy water fight between the happy children and their surrogate father.

Emily returned and although the mess certainly didn't excite her, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that the children were happy. They ushered them into Maggie's room first and though they denied it, the droopy-eyed children climbed into bed after much persuasion and the promise of a bedtime story by the two agents.

They began to read a story the kids had picked from their bookshelves - well, a book Maggie had insisted upon while Carter went along without a word. Derek started to read the book but only two pages in, the children were fast asleep. Emily tucked the little girl in while Derek carried the small little boy in his arms while they turned on the soft music and nightlight. They then moved gently to Carter's room, tucking him in and also turning on his soft music and nightlight - they hoped the exhaustion and the calming atmosphere would keep the children from having nightmares and missing their parents, causing them to sleep soundly through the night... but they wouldn't be that lucky.

After sufficiently cleaning up the water in the bathrooms and the mess of the dinner the children had made, Derek and Emily's exhaustion finally caught up with them and they travelled upstairs to get some rest to prepare for an undoubtedly eventful day tomorrow with the energetic children.

"We've got to get some sleep," Emily exhaled as they entered the bedroom. "Who knows how much sleep we'll get if the kids wake up wanting their parents in the middle of the night. Or worse, if the unsub comes now."

"Let's hope he holds off for a bit. These kids need a break. And honestly, so do we," Morgan responded. "I'm going to shower and crash."

"Me too," Prentiss nodded.

"You go ahead then, I'll make up the pull out couch bed."

"No, you don't have to take it. I will."

"No way Princess. Royalty deserves a king sized bed," Derek winked.

"Oh my," Emily smirked. "Well why don't you just shower first. You're still soaking wet from earlier. We can figure out the great bed debate later. I'll call Garcia and let her know everything is alright. You know she'll have a million questions."

"Yeah I think I'll avoid that and leave it to you," Derek smiled and Emily gave him a sarcastic smile of thanks. He made his way to shower while she called the curious tech who proceeded to demand every detail of their time so far with the kids. Emily was finally able to pry Garcia off the phone just before her partner emerged from the master bathroom. Steam still lingered as he opened the door and an intoxicating smell purely Morgan filled her senses. And though she would never admit it, her heart sank just a bit when she realized he had already put a t-shirt over his perfectly sculpted muscles. Sure she'd seen them before but she couldn't help the tiny part of her that longed to see them again.

"Your turn Em," he called, pulling her out of her bordering unprofessional thoughts. She moved to collect her clothes from the large chest of drawers while she filled Derek in on Garcia's million questions, insisting that _he _got to call her for the check-in the next time around.

Prentiss then made her way to shower, taking her time as she relaxed under the hot water streaming down. She was just thinking of how wonderful a bed would feel. She was thinking of the couch bed in the sitting area, she didn't mind. she was still doing everything she possibly could to make Morgan fully happy with her again; even if it was through small gestures like this.

But as she made her way out if the bathroom in her pajamas, she saw that her plan would be interrupted. Morgan was sitting in the sitting room on the very couch at the center of their argument. From the look of it, he had already made up the pull-out bed within the couch and was sitting under the covers.

"Morgan," Emily began in a frustrated tone. "I told you I would take the couch."

"Nonsense," he merely smiled back at her, proud of his sneaky plan.

"Well we are at least going to switch off then. I can't take the bed the whole time and make you sleep on that each night," she insisted.

"Sure you can. I really don't mind." She began to protest but he carried on. "Em, it's late. We can figure it out tomorrow," he compromised, even though he knew he would make sure she got the bed, because that's just the kind of person he was – kind. And for Emily, he would do anything, even the smallest gestures of giving up the most comfortable sleeping arrangements. "Come on, like I said, it's late. Let's try to get some sleep in case the kids wake us up."

"Okay," she finally agreed. "Derek," she paused. "Thank you," she offered a sweet smile.

"Always," he winked and they made themselves comfortable in their separate beds as Emily turned off the lights. They stayed awake and talked about anything and nothing for hours, but to them, it only felt like minutes. Eventually though, when Emily's voice became even softer whispers and Derek finally heard her steady breathing, he too drifted off to a peaceful dreamland. Yet his sleep was anything but peaceful for long.

Morgan shot up in his bed at the sound of the rustling and frightened whimpers. At first his mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong with one of the children but as his eyes adjusted to the moonlight streaming through the large bedroom windows, he saw the real source of his awakening.

She was tossing and turning, obviously trying to get away from what looked like nothing. But he knew what she was afraid of; he knew what was haunting her – it always did, _he _always did. Doyle was after her: taking Declan, going after the team or simply torturing her. Derek practically lunged from his bed, rushing as quickly as he could to his fearfully shivering partner.

"Emily, Emily," he whispered as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up into this chest. Her eyes shot open and confusion overcame her as consciousness fought with the remnants of her dreams but her mind finally succumbed to reality and she fell into him. She wrapped her arms around him and clutched his shirt as though her very life depended on it, and emotionally, it did.

"He was here," she shook her head frantically.

"It's okay. It was just a nightmare. He's gone Em. He can't hurt you or anyone else anymore," he stated calmly as her heartbeat slowly came to a normal beating pace. Derek continued rubbing her back as one hand rested on her head resting against his shoulder, face buried in his neck. This was normal, the way he saved her. He'd always saved her one way or another ever since they were partners: in the field, through talks, and ever since Doyle, just like this. He'd hold her until she realized that Doyle was gone and only remained haunting her mind. She'd thank him and he'd go back, even if their hearts screamed in their minds' ears to stay with their only source of comfort: each other.

Emily knew this nightmare was worse than the rest. She knew why too. Derek had known before she had even considered it a legitimate issue. It was the very reason he was worried about them going undercover in the first place. She was already getting attached and Doyle had always been the reason she could never let that happen. He terrified her even more tonight: coming into the house, hurting the kids, hurting Derek… and the team was too late; _she _was too late.

Prentiss blocked the thought from her mind. Derek was there and to her, that was the most invincible force she needed. Her heartbeat had steadied and her breathing had slowed down to normal, but they still clung to one another. And just as this nightmare had been different, the outcome would be too.

Derek noticed she had calmed and laid his head back against the pillows piled against the top of the bed, pulling her down with him so her head rested against his shoulder while the rest of her body laid near him.

"You okay?" he whispered as he pulled back his head and found her eyes in the dim light of the night.

"Yeah…" she murmured. "Thanks, again," she spoke softly as she laid her head back on his shoulder once more.

"You know I'll always be here for you," he spoke back to her.

"I know." she smiled and closed her eyes once more.

"Good. Just go to sleep okay? I'm right here," he finished with a whisper.

No more words were spoken, after all, they were great at many things but above all, they were experts at avoiding – avoiding the truth. So they just fell asleep in one another's arms, nightmares forgotten while feelings of comfort abounded. They were undercover in a strange place and in a rather strange situation… but now it was beginning to feel just a little bit like home.

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**Hope you enjoyed it! :)**


	5. Decorating

_Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you've all been well! _

_Here is the latest installment of my Christmas story. It definitely will take me longer than I thought to complete but I hope you don't mind. This way, I can pay more attention to the little details without rushing._

_AnnKa, I'm not sure I could have written this chapter, and well, this story without you. You are truly the best and I am so thankful for you, your patience and your ideas!_

_Also, thank you everyone who is reading and reviewing – it means a lot!_

_So, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I'm off to work on the next one for you!_

_Don't forget to leave a review, comment or suggestion! Thanks!  
_

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**Decorating**

"_**Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time."**_

_**-Laura Ingalls Wilder-**_

The sun streamed in through the foggy windows, hitting Derek's face as he slowly opened his eyes. He was just about to move when he felt a weight on his shoulder and chest. He looked down with a smile at her head on his shoulder and her hand resting delicately on his chest. Morgan remembered Emily's nightmares in the early hours of the morning, causing them to end up in the same bed like this. That's when he changed his mind.

He didn't move at all except to pull his arm tighter around her. He just lay there quietly, contently. Derek couldn't bear to wake her even if it wasn't exactly professional or acceptable protocol for the FBI. But they were the ones who sent them into this situation in the first place he rationalized. Plus, to him, she looked too peaceful, too beautiful – he couldn't think of anything better than seeing her alive and breathing after all she had been through, after all they had both been through.

He was also thankful Doyle was no longer haunting her mind. And honestly, he was rather enjoying playing house with his partner. Sure the possibility of an unsub attacking at any moment was looming, but they were partners, and they were together again. That alone helped Derek feel like they could conquer any situation. So he lay there for awhile, falling in and out of consciousness, knowing he'd need his strength for when the children decided to wake up and keep them awake and running all day long.

Emily felt the warmth of the sunlight hit her face as she was pulled from a finally peaceful sleep. She didn't open her eyes immediately but rather laid there and remembered the events of the previous night as she noticed her head slowly rising and falling on the soft but solid chest of her partner. Her stomach twisted in knots and her mind began racing as to how to proceed. She could try to get up if he was still asleep and avoid the conversation they would no doubt have. But he had comforted her from her fears once again and she couldn't ignore that. She slowly opened her eyes, turned her head up to look at him and assessed his state of consciousness.

His eyes were closed and his face was one of content for a few moments. But her movements woke him up and he too opened his eyes. As he took in the sight before him, he couldn't help smiling down at her. "Good morning," he whispered softly, sleep still evident in his voice.

"Hi," she responded nervously with a quiet smile before sitting up in the bed beside him. Sleep had finally left her senses and her rational side was beginning to take over. This wasn't professional, it wasn't normal, but she couldn't deny in her heart that she didn't enjoy waking up in the strong arms of her partner. But she covered up her feelings instantly, something they both did quite well. "I always knew you wanted to get me into bed," she joked.

"Oh baby if I did, you'd never want to leave." Derek continued the banter to which Emily only rolled her eyes at his typical joking before she turned serious at the thought of the real reason he was there.

"Derek listen… about last night," she started but he cut her off.

"Hey," he said gently as he moved to sit beside her. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, I do. You were right. It was worse this time. He was here," Emily spoke but the words caught in her throat. She pressed on anyway as she attempted to hold down the barriers she always built up so strongly around her emotions, "I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for being here. Not just last night but for every time. It means the world to me. Waking up and feeling safe again, I haven't really had that feeling since before I first met Doyle. But now I can… because of you. So, thank you."

"Emily," Derek paused as he reached to squeeze her hand. "I'll always be here for you." They smiled as they held each other's gaze, a million thoughts raced through their minds in that moment but they still held in the words to convey the truth of their feelings; fear, protocol and simply stubbornness barricading them in their minds.

Emily was about to speak again but was cut off by a soft cry from down the hall. "Well it looks like Ben is awake too," she commented at the sound.

"I've got him," Derek replied instantly as he moved out of the bed.

"I'll go get Carter and Maggie. No doubt they're awake now," Emily said and she was right. Ben's cries had awoken the two children whose still tired minds had to register their new surroundings and lack of biological parents when they first saw Emily enter their rooms.

Emily carried a very sleepy Carter in her arms while Maggie trailed close behind with her stuffed animal in hand. The makeshift mom turned on the television to a kids' station while the kids cuddled on the couch in the early morning before she met Derek, who had just placed Ben in the playpen, in the kitchen. He had pulled out pancake mix from the pantry that Garcia and JJ had fully stocked and was beginning to stir in the ingredients.

Together, the partners prepared a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes for the children. They sat down to eat and naturally with three children, a sticky mess of syrup erupted. Morgan and Prentiss cleaned off the sticky fingers, faces, table and plates before the kids went back into the living room to finish their program. Then the partners were finally able to eat on their own, much less messily of course. Just before they were finished though, Emily got up from the table. "Oh I forgot," she said as she made her way to her purse and pulled out a long box.

It was only when she brought the contents back to the table that Derek saw what she had forgotten and his heart sank. He saw a large handful of pills in her hand, no doubt antibiotics from the injuries she was still recovering from. He knew it still hurt her sometimes from the workouts they did together. He was always careful around the injury; so worried a single touch would damage her for good. Sometimes she'd wince when they practiced hand-to-hand combat takedowns or were merely on their morning runs. She would always insist she was okay, but that didn't stop him from worrying. Nothing ever did and nothing ever would.

He also knew she still had to go to the doctor occasionally to make sure everything was all right, which worried him even further. Sure he would worry about anyone on his team; they were all like family. But Emily was his partner, his closest friend on the team after all they had been through together, worry and concern was natural; they knew everything about each other, now that is. Doyle had been the only secret. She had wanted to tell him more times than she could count, but she cared about him too much to let him come to any danger.

Sure he knew about the injuries but he'd never seen her do this; she had tried to hide it from him, knowing how upset the memories of Doyle made him – not at her, but at the guilt that still lingered within him that he didn't stop it in time, no matter how many times she told him it wasn't his fault. She didn't want him to have to think about it, _she _didn't want to think about it, but in this unique situation, there wasn't much they could hide.

"What's that?" a small voice asked, pulling them both out of their sad thoughts. Maggie had returned, standing beside Emily at the breakfast table, and her little finger was pointing to the pills in Emily's hand. "Is it candy?" she said with hopefully bright eyes.

"No honey, it's just some medicine," she responded in a startled state, avoiding Derek's now even more obvious stare.

"Oh...Are you sick?" Maggie asked with genuine concern.

"No sweetie. I'm okay," Prentiss told the young girl as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go back and play with your brothers okay? I promise it's all right."

Maggie skipped back into the living room as Emily washed the pills down with her water as quickly as she could. She didn't want to bring any more attention to it. She knew him too well and figured out exactly what he was thinking, especially from the pain in his eyes. So she spoke before he could ask her about it. "So, what is the plan for keeping three children occupied all day long?" Emily asked her partner.

"I've got a few ideas," Derek answered simply with a smile in her direction. The thoughts not forgotten but set aside for another time and place. "We'll all need to be pretty bundled up though. It's getting cold out there."

"Whatever you say Dad," Emily joked. They cleaned up and took the kids upstairs to get dressed in their warm clothes and winter jackets. The new family filed to the garage and loaded into the SUV where Emily and Derek struggled to overcome the confusing intricacies of a child's car seat. "Some of my BAU equipment is easier to figure out than this," Derek commented with frustration.

After what felt like forever to the children, who kept themselves happily occupied by blowing into the chilly air and seeing their breaths before them, the carseats were secure and so were they within them. Derek drove the now happy and giggling children out of the neighborhood.

"Where are we going?" Carter asked, excitement obvious as he kicked his feet back and forth.

"It's a surprise little man," Derek answered, earning a wide smile from the little boy. Even Prentiss was confused as to what her partner had planned. But it wasn't long until they all got their answer. Morgan pulled the car into a long driveway that was marked by a large sign with green letters that said "Christmas Tree Farm" on it, framing a painted green Christmas tree on the wood. "It isn't Christmas without a tree," he smiled as he saw everyone's eyes go wide as they looked out the windows at the rows and rows of greenery.

They parked and made their way inside. Emily carried the baby while Morgan took hold of Maggie and Carter's tiny-gloved hands as their excitement nearly overpowered them with the urge to run straight to the sea of huge evergreens before them.

"Alright kiddos, we need a big tree to decorate for the new house. You think we can do that together?" he bent down to speak to them.

"Yes," they chorused excitedly. The owner of the farm showed them to the area with the exact size tree they were looking for but then Derek and Emily let the children do the picking. Maggie and Carter ran round, fighting about their favorites until they finally found what they described as the perfect tree. It was a big, slightly lopsided evergreen with plenty of personality and room for decorations.

The owner of the business took down and wrapped the tree they had picked after Derek paid. Emily got the children in the car while he and Derek loaded it onto the car.

"So how'd I do Mrs. Phillips?" Derek smiled in Emily's direction after the tree was secure.

"Father of the Year," she winked.

He grinned at the compliment. "Not quite yet. We've still got to buy lots of decorations."

Emily merely smiled as she got in the car. Derek then drove the family to the next chapter of their Christmas adventure: to buy as many decorations as possible. Emily checked in with Garcia to set up a Skype date that afternoon during the kids' naps while Derek was kept entertained by the children's excited babbling about how they were going to decorate the tree.

"You two are the perfect parents," Garcia beamed through the phone. "This is exactly what those kids need."

"Well, I certainly hope so," Emily replied.

"Oh, I forgot! You can't have a Christmas tree without presents under it! The Fosters had bought all of those little angels presents before the unsub came. They were still in their car when they were found. When JJ and I set up the house, we put them in the cabinets in the garage so the kids wouldn't see since they weren't wrapped yet."

"And that's why you're the best. Thanks Penelope," Prentiss responded, realization washing over her of just how real this was. She and Derek were all these kids had in the world now, she, her partner and the support of their team. So she was going to do everything she could for them.

"Have fun my loves," Garcia exclaimed through the phone before saying goodbye. Emily then joined in on the conversation while the kids became even more animated with their decoration plans.

Finally, they were all walking through the aisles of Target with kids in hand and the baby in the cart. They had already grabbed lights, wreaths, wrapping paper, ribbon, stockings, Christmas movies, books, and more décor for their new home. Ben was fully engaged in a small stuffed snowman Emily had found for him in the store.

The other four were now collecting quite the array of ornaments but Derek and Emily were mostly occupied with making sure Maggie and Carter's excited and grabbing hands didn't break any of the fragile ornaments hanging from the shelves. Once their buggy was practically overflowing, Derek stated that there was just one more thing they needed. He reached to the top shelf in the holiday section, and pulled down a large box with a star inside for the top of the tree.

Standing in line, they loaded their bags of purchases back into the cart. "This is when I love the company credit card," Emily whispered. She moved to push the cart while Derek held a sleepy Ben in his arms on their way to the car.

First it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids' lunch and salads for the adults, even if PB&Js looked much more tempting. Of course, the kids ate as quickly as they could in anticipation for the decorating extravaganza and soon, the family was scurrying around the living room, opening their purchases to be placed on the tree Derek was placing in it's stand.

"So we'll do the star first?" Emily asked as she pulled it out of the box once the tree was set in it's stand and strung with lights by the kids running in circles.

"No!" Maggie exclaimed as she ran over to the woman. "Daddy always lifts us up to put the star on last," she commented, only realizing after she said it the significance of her words as her eyes turned down in a sad gesture. "But what will we do now?"

"Don't worry," Emily said with a smile she forced to hide her sadness. "Derek and I will help you put it on last just like your Daddy did. Okay?"

"Okay," Maggie replied with a satisfied smile. And the decorating continued into the afternoon. The children's excitement and laughter filled the room as they ran around brightening the tree with colorful ornaments and ribbons and filling the house with decorations. Morgan and Prentiss were just as excited, especially Emily. She'd never really experienced Christmas the way most children do. Even Derek noticed the sparkle in Emily's eyes just like the children had as the décor helped them remember the magic of Christmas.

Finally, the entire house was transformed and so were the children. The once rambunctious children who couldn't contain their excitement were stifling yawns and walking around with droopy, tired eyes. "I believe it's nap time," Emily smiled, and the children were too exhausted to protest.

So Derek and Emily carried the worn out children to their rooms upstairs for a much-needed nap – much needed for not just the children but the agents too. However, they knew they needed to connect with the team to be updated on the progress of the case they were now so deeply involved in.

"So, how's it going? Tell me everything!" JJ smiled through the screen with the team looking on behind her.

It was Prentiss who took the turn to tell of how well Derek was taking care of the kids with his surprise for them that morning. She told them about finding the Christmas tree, shopping and decorating – ending her praises by carrying the laptop around to showoff the beautifully lit tree.

"It's gorgeous! Now it really looks like a family lives there. But taking three kids shopping a week before Christmas? You're both braver than I am." JJ commented with a proud smile. "I get too paranoid to do it with just one!"

"It was an adventure all right," Derek added.

"Let's just say I'm not sure we'll be doing it again on this undercover operation," Emily chuckled. "Any new developments?" she asked as she brought the topic of conversation around to the case.

"Not yet. Garcia's still researching and we're all trying to gather something, anything really, for the profile. But we're all hoping the funeral tomorrow will help us narrow down some suspects."

"Oh, I forgot about that," Derek said with a sad look towards the stairwell that lead up to the children. "Haven't they been through enough without having to go through more sadness that just reminds them that they'll never see them again?"

Everyone knew Derek was right, he knew better than anyone the pain of losing a parent the way these children had and how a funeral could only make the pain even worse. They also thought of the last funeral they had all attended together… all but one that is since it was a funeral for her… for Emily.

Most of them thought of Derek, how strong, tough Derek Morgan had completely fallen apart that day, and many days after that. JJ had told Emily how affected he had been that day, and how broken he was the whole time she had been gone. Of course she didn't want to upset Emily anymore than she had been when she'd found out the team had been told she didn't make it, but it was Emily who asked about Derek before anyone else. He was the last one she remembered before waking up to her life completely changed. He was the one who had begged her to hold on when she thought her life was over. And he was the reason she did.

Those, along with many others, were the reasons JJ was so on board with this undercover operation. She hoped that her friends, who also happened to be the two most stubborn agents on the team, would finally realize just how much they meant to each other.

"Hopefully we will be able to discover something by observing the visitors," Hotch said, the skillful profiler knew what they were all thinking and knew he had to get the team back on task. "We believe the unsub knew all of our victims, at least as an acquaintance so there is a strong possibility that they will make an appearance. Especially since they will want to know where the children are since their M.O. was not completed in the murder of the Fosters."

"We'll have eyes everywhere at the church tomorrow. Since we know with three children you'll hardly be able to do anything but manage them," Rossi added.

"That's true." Emily responded.

"Well, sounds like a plan then," Derek agreed.

"We'll let you two go get some rest since naptime might be the only time you ever get it. I know it is for me," JJ grinned.

"Thanks JJ," Derek told their friend. "We'll talk to you soon."

"Hey Morgan, Emily," they heard Reid say as he moved closer to the screen. "I was just wondering if the kids enjoyed the puzzles I left for them?"

"Oh Reid they've been so busy decorating but I can only imagine they will be full of energy when they wake up and we'll be sure to show them to them. I'm sure they are going to love them," Emily quickly answered, not wanting to dash the genius' feelings.

"Okay. Thanks," he smiled as his inner nerd showed through his satisfied grin. The team finally said goodbye and the two agents collapsed on the chairs in the living room to reboot their energy before the kids woke up.

The television played in the background but they still talked over the noise. "You really had a great idea for today. I don't think I've had that much fun in a long time. Especially not decorating for Christmas." Emily confessed.

"I can tell. I mean who puts the star on first?" Derek joked.

"Hey!" Emily defended herself. "I never really got to do this you know. The embassy staff or housekeepers would always put up the Christmas trees for us because of state dinners and such. Christmas was always a business affair growing up. It was never this exciting."

Derek just looked at her, sad she had never experienced Christmases the way he had with his parents and sisters before his dad had died. But even then, his mom made sure Christmas was extra special for the family. Decorating, baking and so much more went into their Christmas traditions. But it seemed as though Emily had none. He was just doing this to make sure the kids had a memorable Christmas season but now, he wanted to make sure Emily experienced the Christmas she had never really had. "Well this year will be different," Morgan said encouragingly.

"I think it will be different no matter what with the situation we're in," Emily smiled. The agents rested for a while longer, but it didn't seem long enough when Carter appeared on the stairs and Ben's cries woke Maggie up as well. The three little ones were now fully rested and bursting with energy once again. Derek and Emily kept them occupied with games of hide-and-seek and playing with toys until dinnertime. Soon, it was bath time and the kids were back in bed after a story, exhausted once again.

Soon, it was time for Derek and Emily to get some rest as well, especially with the funeral tomorrow. Prentiss came out of the master bathroom and her partner was already in the couch bed.

"I thought we agreed to trade off," Emily looked at him pointedly.

"I don't mind," he said, ever the gentleman.

"That's not fair Morgan."

"Well technically I did get to sleep in the bed last night. So we'll start the rotation over, okay?" he responded, not going to give up.

"Okay," Emily agreed quietly, still not quite all right with the arrangement.

"Then again, we could always share the bed again," he winked. "After all, we wouldn't want to confuse the children," Derek smirked with a laugh.

Emily only rolled her eyes and smiled at his joke as she made herself comfortable in the bed. She tried to ignore the feeling that she wished his offer were true merely for the comfort his presence brought with the nightmares that would undoubtedly come. But she told herself she had to be strong; they wouldn't be in this setup forever and eventually, even if Morgan would spend time with her outside of work, eventually she would have to face them alone. "Goodnight Derek," she whispered.

"Goodnight Emily," Derek replied as he turned off the light.

The night became darker in more ways than one. Doyle appeared once more. Emily ran as fast as she could but she couldn't stop him from getting to Derek and the children. Suddenly, it was her turn. He came at her, knife in hand, and just as he grabbed for her, ready to plunge the weapon in her… but just as the pain should have come, Emily shot up in bed, gasping for air as she wrapped her arms around her middle for protection from the now dissipated dream.

Her heart felt as though it would fly out of her chest, trying to calm itself from the horror she felt in her sleep. She pulled her knees to her chest and snaked her arms around herself to attempt to squeeze away the fear and bring in some form of comfort even though the tears were forming in her eyes as she thought of the possibility that she would never truly be free of Doyle.

Emily's watery eyes moved over to glance at her sleeping partner in the bed across the room. She could see his peaceful form rise and fall with his deep breathing in the reflection of the moonlight through the windows. Her mind battled with itself with the desire to be independent but the need to no longer be alone. Her mind fought against it but her heart couldn't stop her feet from sliding off the bed and tiptoeing to the sleeping figure.

She lifted up the sheets, crawling her way beside him and into her realm of comfort. She didn't touch him, but merely being near him made her feel safer. She remembered the way he had tried to protect her until the very end and the way he had fought for her even after she was gone. Emily knew that with him, the nightmares were bearable.

Prentiss rested her head on the pillow, trying to be as still as possible as she closed her eyes. But Derek was ready for anything with the possibility of an unsub showing up. He rolled over and saw her, looking up at him with sad and tired eyes.

"Emily?" he whispered sleepily. "What's wro-" he began, but the realization hit him almost instantly as he saw her tears. "Nightmares?" he asked. She only nodded back, worried if she attempted to speak, she might never stop crying. "Come here," he immediately said.

Derek reached out for her, pulling her closer to him, the way they had laid together the night before. "It's okay Em. I'm right here," he whispered into her hair. And suddenly, Emily's heart slowed back down, her tears subsided and she wasn't afraid to close her eyes anymore. He had saved her once again.

But she wasn't the only one. He wouldn't admit it yet but she wasn't the only one who had nightmares. Doyle had visited him both nights so far, and almost every night since that night in the warehouse. He was always too late. That night replayed in his head over and over. Sometimes Doyle would appear again, hurting her even more, telling Derek he was too late. But now, when he woke up, she was alive. The past two nights, she was there, and that was the only medicine he needed to get over his own fears of losing her again. So in a way, she was saving him too.

They fell asleep together once more, barely touching but fully aware of each other's comforting presence. And their sleep was finally peaceful once again.

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**Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave a comment & Merry Christmas!**


	6. Memories

_Hello my marvelous readers! I hope you all had a lovely and happy Christmas! _

_Here is the next chapter of my little Demily story. I'm sorry it's sad but there I promise I'll give you a bit more Demily tension in the next chapter!_

_Thank you ALL for your reviews! Every single one of them warms my heart and makes me want to write more and more._

_Special thanks to AnnKa for her immense help with this story and others. You're awesome!_

_And I couldn't forget criss128, my Demily BFF, for always being there for me with stories and just life in general! Lots of love girl!_

_Don't forget to leave your comments or ideas below._

_Thanks for reading and happy new year!  
_

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**Memories**

"_**To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."**__**  
**__**-**__**Thomas Campbell**__**-**_

That morning began rather like the one before. Chilly from the early morning air and longing for comfort from the nightmares that threatened to creep in; Emily snuggled up tighter to Derek unconsciously in her sleep. She woke him accidentally, but of course he didn't mind. For him, any way to prevent Doyle from haunting her, he would do; and after all, he wouldn't admit it out loud but he preferred this way the most.

Emily finally woke up and stretched her body out beside her partner's. She opened her eyes and felt his strong arm wrapped around her once again as she suddenly remembered moving to this bed, to his side, the night before. "Thank you," she whispered when she looked up to see his soft smile towards her.

"I've told you before: _Always._" He responded immediately at which her grin only widened. He sat up, stretching his back before speaking again. "But if we do this again, I vote we do it in a bed with actual springs inside rather than this old thing," he gestured to the couch.

"Deal," Emily agreed with an understanding smile. Both pondered the implications of the conversation that one bed would be best from now on but neither of them ventured furthered with the uncertain and out-of-the ordinary arrangement. They had a whole day to get through before approaching that issue again. And with that thought, Emily remembered what they would soon have to do.

"We have to get them ready for the funeral," Emily started speaking and the tone of the discussion turned gloomy. "I already laid out their little black outfits last night. It's just so sad. They don't need to be reminded of the fact their parents are gone."

"No, but they do need to be reminded of how much their parents loved them. We can at least make sure of that. I'll never forget my dad's funeral. It was one of the worst days of my life," Derek commented as he stared off into the distance despondently.

Emily looked at him with pitiful eyes, knowing how deeply his father's murder had affected him. "Your father died protecting you. So did theirs. They're too young to understand that now but one day they will. And even though it will be painful, they'll know just how much their parents loved them. Just like your dad did. And we will help to remind them of that."

Derek couldn't help but give a grateful smile at her words. They got up and dressed for the day before waking the kids. The agents fed the children and dressed them in their outfits. They knew it would be a difficult endeavor the moment Carter began complaining about how scratchy his shirt was, when Ben started squirming restlessly, or, as Maggie constantly asked why she couldn't go to school to see her friends since it was Monday.

After much prodding and convincing, all the children were finally in their carseats. They were happily playing with their toys and singing to the music Emily had found on the stereo. Meanwhile, Derek drove the family to the cemetery for the graveside service that would surely dampen the children's moods. Before they descended the car once again, the agents tried to explain the concept of the event to the children however they became even more confused but acutely more aware of their parents' absence.

Derek sat with the baby dozing in his arms while Carter sat on Emily's lap looking off into the distance. Maggie sat between them and rested against Derek, looking more solemn than ever. Two caskets were displayed in front of them with numerous pictures of the Fosters resting on top.

Morgan and Prentiss noticed how the children were a perfect blend of the individuals: they shared their smiles; their features and no doubt their lively personalities from the looks of the fun-filled snapshots. They were a beautiful family and anyone could tell from the family images scattered over the graves, they were equally as happy. And that made the entire affair so much worse.

Emily hugged Carter just a bit tighter as the minister began speaking before friends of the couple took turns speaking of them. She listened intently but glanced around to see the team members of the BAU spread among the crowd, watching for any possible clues to catch the unsub. She looked around discreetly and Derek was doing the same, but to no avail. Hopefully the team would have better luck without the distraction of the fidgeting children.

Soon the service was over and Derek and Emily met what felt like a million faces, and there were almost that many. The Fosters may not have had family but they were not at a loss for people who loved them just as much. There were coworkers, college friends, country club members, fellow parents at the preschool, teachers and church members who had nothing but kind words and love for the new parents and the children of the friends they had so adored.

Two couples walked towards the new little family. "Hello," the blonde woman smiled. "We're the Stewarts. I'm Kathryn and this is my husband Chris." They shook hands before more introductions ensued.

"I'm Doctor David Grey and this is my wife Adrianne," the young man said as he gestured affectionately to the other woman.

"Hi, we're the Phillips. I'm Derek and this is my wife Emily," Morgan said with a wide grin at his unusual words. "I'm sure you know the kids."

Kathryn started speaking. "Oh yes. We are…" she caught herself. "_Were_ all very close with Claire and Thomas." The woman had to compose herself and her husband reached for her hand but she continued. "Our twins Kylie and Justin are in Maggie's class at Good Shepherd, the church's daycare."

"That's great," Emily smiled. "We'll start taking the kids there tomorrow again. I'm sure seeing their friends will help them."

"Definitely," Adrianne said. "We don't have kids but I'm the nurse at the school so I'm always nearby these little munchkins," before bending down to hug Carter and Maggie who joyously greeted her with an exclamation of "Aunt Adrianne!"

"Anyway, you must be exhausted. We just wanted to introduce ourselves and let you know if there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," Kathryn said as she reached out and handed the couple a slip of paper. "Those are our phone numbers and addresses. Call us if you need anything at all. Also, we wanted to know what time would be alright to bring dinner over for you."

"Oh you really don't have to…" Emily began but was cut off.

"Nonsense," David spoke as he picked up a smiling Carter. "Hey buddy," he spoke to the little boy before turning back to the adults. "You suddenly get three kids in one weekend – preschoolers no less – so we know you're busy. The Fosters would have done the same for any of us. They didn't have any family of their own so we want to help you in any way we can and continue being a part of these kids' lives. That is, if you're alright with that."

"Of course we are. We're honored," Derek smiled at the man. "Thank you. Dinner will be just fine at any time."

"Great," Kathryn said. "We'll bring it by around 6:00."

"Thanks again," Emily said sincerely.

"No, thank you," Chris spoke. "We're just grateful you both were willing to take on the task of caring for these kids."

"We were so worried that they would get split up in the foster system," Adrianne said. "They need to be together and they certainly seem happy with you," she grinned as Carter reached excitedly for Derek with his arms when David handed him back.

"Well they make us happy too," Derek smiled.

"I know Claire and Thomas would be proud their kids are being well looked after. We'll see you at 6:00 to bring you dinner," David said. The couples said goodbye to one another after giving hugs to the children and went on their way.

The children were tired: physically and emotionally, and so finally the crowd began to disperse. Morgan and Prentiss were too. They felt even more lost in their search for the unsub than before. There were a vast amount of individuals but every person they met seemed so normal and genuinely sad at the loss of the Fosters. They weren't sure they would ever find the unsub before he got to them and the children.

The team couldn't meet publicly but they each stole a few words here and there. Garcia was the last to speak. "Em," Penelope whispered as she pulled the woman aside. "Is everything going okay?"

"Yes, I think so," Emily responded. "The children are just wonderful. But I am worried about how they will be after this. They've been through so much already."

"I know. Those poor babies," Garcia began to tear up as she spoke a mile a minute. "Well JJ and I bought Christmas cookies when we set up the house for the kiddos for something special, and I think today they'll need it. They're just place and bake so even you can't destroy them as long as you set a timer," Emily merely laughed at her friend's correct commentary on Emily's inability to cook. "The package is in the drawer in the fridge. I'm pretty sure my Chocolate Thunder will need some as well," she nodded to Morgan who was with the children. "I know this can't be easy for him. I'm sure he's thinking of his father's funeral today too."

"Yes," Emily nodded as she thought of their conversation that morning.

"And no doubt a certain funeral some months ago too," she said. Penelope noticed Emily's face turn guilty and instantly rushed to explain her words. "Oh E I didn't mean to make you upset. He's got a remedy for that now. Right here," Garcia pointed to her. "You're back and that's all he wanted."

Emily merely smiled back and offered her friend a "Thank you," before she was called over by her acting husband.

"They're getting hungry," he began with wide eyes that indicated the children were not only hungry but were becoming grumpy as well. "I think Ben needs a change too. Will you take care of Carter and… Maggie? Maggie?" he asked nervously as he spun around, not seeing the little girl.

Emily frantically looked around but her fears didn't last long. She spotted the little girl only a few feet away at the gravesite. "Derek," she whispered as she rubbed her hand across his shoulder and pointed. "Look."

Derek's heart stilled as he and Emily looked over to the emotional scene. Maggie was standing there, her little stuffed animal clutched against her chest in her hand as always. She was standing before the picture frames that held the stills of her parents, the children and even the couples they met earlier in the pictures all together. Her free hand rested on one of the frames of her parents holding only her.

The agents' heart broke at the sight and they made their way over to the child. Emily bent down beside her and Derek sat in one of the chairs still left from the funeral. "Hey sweetie," Prentiss began and tenderly placed her hand on her back. "Are you okay?"

"I miss my mommy and daddy," Maggie sniffed and turned towards the woman and wrapped her arms around her.

"I know baby," Emily soothed and pulled the little girl in for a tighter hug. "And I know they miss you too." She looked up sadly at Derek who was remembering himself on the day of his father's funeral and suddenly he had an idea.

"What do you say we take those pictures back to our house?" Derek asked as he picked up a frame. "That way, whenever you miss your mom and dad, you can look at these and remember them and how much they loved you."

Maggie nodded her head and a small grin appeared on her face. "Come on. Let's go home," Emily ventured and took her hand. They were close to the car when Emily remembered that Ben needed to be changed. "I'll take him," she said. "It's only fair since I keep making you take diaper duty."

"Sounds good to me," Derek didn't protest as he quickly handed Emily the baby. "I'll get these two in their carseats."

Emily reached out for the squirming bundle and moved to change Ben at the makeshift station in the back of the SUV while Derek grabbed the older kids' hands and led them to the car doors and up into their carseats. They worked as a perfect team. If Emily needed Derek to hand her something, he did it instantly all the while they both kept the children as happy as they could with little songs and bouts of laughter despite the dreary circumstances. Then they both helped secure the baby in his own carseat.

The team watched from their cars now that the crowd had disappeared. "They really are a great team," JJ interjected. "They look like they've been doing this their entire lives."

"They certainly were the perfect choice," Rossi said with a proud smile.

"Those kids may have lost their parents but they sure are lucky to have those two," Garcia added before the little family drove away and the team made their way back to Quantico.

Morgan and Prentiss picked up lunch for the family on the way home, both gaining a deep appreciation for the invention of kids' meals and the toys that come inside them and keep preschoolers occupied.

It had already been a long and tiring morning so the moment they returned to their new home in the early afternoon, the children were changed and they didn't argue that it was time to get in bed for a nap.

Ben went down simply as the two agents snuggled him into his little crib together. Derek went to put Carter down while Emily handled Maggie. Carter was asleep the moment his little head hit the pillow so Derek tiptoed to Maggie's doorway but stopped just outside of it as he still heard voices from within.

"Why did my mommy leave me?" Maggie asked with tear-filled eyes.

"Oh sweetie," Emily said, moving to hold the little girl in her arms as she rested against the headboard. "Your mommy didn't want to leave you. She loved you so much but she had to protect you. I know it broke her heart to leave each of you. But she wanted to keep you safe and happy," she spoke, heart breaking at the familiar truth of her words. Derek leaned against the wall outside as he made the connection too.

"It wasn't fair that she had to go. But I know she thinks about you every single day, more than she thinks of anything else, more than she thinks of herself," Emily couldn't keep her voice from catching as she her words had stemmed from her own experiences away from her own family in Paris. "Both your mommy and daddy do. You just have to keep being a good little girl to make them proud. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

"Here," Emily began as an idea hit her. She moved over to the dresser across the room and grabbed one of the pictures they had brought back from the funeral. She put the picture of the Fosters holding Maggie on their lap at the ocean beside the little girl's bed. "We'll put this by your bed so you can remember the time with your parents. Do you remember this picture?"

"Yep," Maggie nodded, the memory showing on her face with a smile. "Daddy and I built a sand castle bigger than me!" she chuckled.

"You had fun that day didn't you?"

"Yes," Maggie giggled.

"Then whenever you feel sad, I want you to look at this picture and remember things like that. And remember what I told you, I know you can't see them anymore but they are always watching over you." Maggie smiled up at her new mother figure.

"Now, can you try to lie down and go to sleep for me? Derek and I will be right downstairs if you need us. And if you take a good nap, I'll have a surprise for you when you wake up," Emily whispered as she tucked the little girl in, kissed her forehead and moved to the doorway.

She didn't see Derek standing there and jumped as she turned to see his face after exiting the pink painted room. "Sorry," he whispered. "Carter went to sleep instantly but I thought Maggie might struggle. And I guess I was right."

Emily nodded as she realized he must have heard her talking to Maggie and she knew he wouldn't have missed the double meaning in her comforting words. "Yeah, she's missing her parents a lot after the funeral but at least she's finally resting. Thanks for bringing those pictures home. You've really got a way with them. It really helped. I just hope they will sleep tonight too."

"It's hard now – it always will be – but they aren't alone. You're pretty great with them too," Derek spoke proudly as they descended the stairs, so many unspoken thoughts passing between them.

"I just can't help but feel a little guilty. What if, once we catch the unsub, what Adrianne said comes true. What if they _do _get separated in the foster system. It's unlikely anyone will adopt three kids at once," she pondered sadly.

"I know. But we'll get through it. We care about them and it looks like they've got more families that care about them too. They'll be okay. We'll do everything we can to make sure these kids get a happy home, together," Derek assured.

"Thanks. I'm just glad we're in this together," Emily grinned up at him.

"Well, we do make a great team," he responded with a wink.

"Speaking of, Garcia and JJ bought us cookies to bake the kids. I promised them a surprise when they woke up so you're going to have to help me make sure I don't burn them buddy. And we all know that could very easily happen," she laughed.

"I've got you covered Princess. As long as I get a piece of cookie dough," he joked playfully.

"That's not healthy. You could get sick from raw dough."

"Oh Emily, didn't you know that's just what the adults tell the kids so _they _can eat the dough?" he asked mischievously.

"You're worse than they are," she pointed upstairs playfully. "We'll see," she winked as they made their way into the kitchen. "Come on. We've got to bake these in time to video chat with the team. Hopefully they've got more for a profile now."

"Lead the way Princess," Derek grinned as the wheels of his mind were turning as to just how to sneak a piece of cookie dough.

A few hours, later, the cookies were made; none burned thankfully but some were missing that Derek's hand had grabbed just before Emily playfully attempted to slap his hand away. But even she gave in and sneaked a few as well as they laughed while baking in the kitchen together. Derek was right, they _did _make a great team… and they couldn't help but think within their hearts that maybe they could make something just a little bit more.

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**Hope you enjoyed! I promise the mood will lighten in the next updates. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Scars

_Hello my lovely readers! I hope you are all doing very well._

___Thank you ALL for your reviews! Every single one of them makes me so happy and want to write more and more._

_Special thanks to AnnKa for her awesome help with this story and others. I couldn't do it without you._

_Thank you to jhplug for always listening to my ideas! You're great!_

_And I couldn't forget criss128, my Demily BFF. Thanks for always being there for mefor everything!_

_Don't forget to leave your comments or ideas below._

_Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Scars**

"_**It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."**_

_**-Rose Kennedy-**_

"We're still no where close to building a profile are we?" Derek asked dejectedly.

"Well we _are _getting closer on the profile, it's just that our suspect list is pretty much empty," Rossi answered through the screen.

"So there was no one at the funeral who stood out?" Emily asked.

"We can't be sure the unsub was there. This killer is after something. Relishing in the product of his actions is not likely going to excite this unsub. Ultimately, he's after the children… well, child."

"We met two couples who were friends of the Fosters. They're bringing us dinner tonight but there were no red flags there," Derek spoke. "Still, we'll stay aware."

"Good. It's likely that the unsub will cross paths with you at some point in the daily routine so just keep an eye out, especially when you take the kids to preschool. This case is all about the kids so we're hoping that is the key."

"Will do." Derek nodded.

"So tomorrow you'll begin the Fosters weekly routine," JJ added. "Maggie, Carter and Ben are to be dropped off at Good Sheppard Preschool tomorrow morning at 9:00am. I typed up directions and the names of the kids' teachers but I'm sure they'll take good care of you. That place is like the Harvard of preschools. Each of the children's trust funds has already paid their tuition in full so they'll be expecting you."

"You'll need to send them lunches so I bought them all little lunchboxes. They are in the pantry. I got Carter a superhero one and Maggie a princess one," Garcia couldn't contain her glee.

"I'm sure they'll love it babygirl."

"Good. I'm sure you've already found all of it but I bought applesauce, fruit snacks, veggie packs and more for them so you should be all set."

"We might even have to pack them some of those cookies we baked as a treat," Derek added.

"As long as you don't eat them all first," Emily said with a pointed glare at Derek's now guilty face.

"Or as long as Emily didn't burn them," Reid added with a smile.

"Oh honestly! Do none of you have any faith in my cooking abilities?" Emily exclaimed. The team merely looked around at each other and then all shook their heads at her as they erupted into chuckles.

"Shhh," she whispered as she leaned forward to turn down the volume on the computer. "The kids are napping."

"See. I told you she'd be the perfect mom," Garcia grinned proudly.

"She is," Derek agreed instantly, causing Emily's cheeks to flush. "The funeral was hard on the kids. She was a genius at getting them to go down for a nap. She's got the magic touch," he said with an admiring glance in her direction, to which Emily merely shook her head.

"Well now we just need to work on Emily's cooking skills so those kids don't starve," Rossi said; unable to stop himself and more laughing began.

"Well one day I'll surprise you all. You'll see," she stated, unable to hide the annoyed but loving smile on her face for the family-like team. They were about to talk further but the sound of Carter's call for Derek from the stairway landing cut the conversation short.

"Back to parenthood," Derek joked before the rushed up the stairs to where Carter stood. "Hey little man!" he exclaimed as he lifted Carter high in the air. "Ready to play with your trains some more? We need to finish that bridge!"

"Yes!" Carter jumped and proceeded to follow the man excitedly towards the playroom while Prentiss bid the team goodbye. Soon, the Derek and Carter were building onto the train tracks and Emily was helping Maggie play dress-up for a tea party with her stuffed animals. Baby Ben was kicking his feet excitedly while watching the events unfold from his swing.

The late afternoon hours passed quickly and the temporary family was finally pulled from their entertainment by the ringing of the doorbell. David and Adrianne Grey greeted the family, hugging the excited children who rushed towards them the moment they saw them.

They brought delicious lasagna, salad and even more Christmas cookies for the family. But the food sat in the kitchen for quite some time as they all sat together: playing with the children and talking with Derek and Emily about their lives. They had met when David was in Medical School and had been married for four years. David was a pediatrician and Adrianne was a nurse but chose to work at the school since the job had just opened up.

They wanted children but struggled having them. The couple said that was one of the reasons the Foster children were so close to them because they had spent so much time with them and their parents, especially since they didn't have any other family.

Eventually though, the couple insisted they should leave and let the family eat, even though not only the kids but the agents protested – happy to have some adult interaction for a change and with such pleasant people. Derek and Emily were also thankful the children had some familiarity in their lives after such a brutal change.

The little family then ate their dinner quickly and went back to playing at the children's insistence.

Bedtime came much to quickly for the still energized children who complained and stated they still wanted to play. But Derek and Emily convinced them to take baths and brush teeth with the reminder that they would get to see their friends at school tomorrow and also with a promise of a bedtime story.

So, after successfully putting Ben to bed, Morgan and Prentiss sat side by side against the bed on the floor in Carter's room. Morgan was holding the book full of fairy tales that Reid had left for the children. Maggie had naturally picked the one about the prince and the princess. So the supposed husband and wife began to dramatically read the story aloud to the children on their laps.

She used her hands and eyes expressively as they rotated through the changing voices and characters. The children were singularly engaged in the two adults' rather ridiculous rendition of their book but Derek was only interested in his female counterpart. He couldn't help but keep darting his eyes over to admire her smile, laugh at her ridiculous rendition of a princess voice and his heart was overjoyed by the sound of her infectious laughter when the children laughed along too.

Emily finally noticed his stare on her. She was reading one of the last pages and it was almost his turn. So she turned her head closer in his direction as she kept glancing up at him. Emily was usually so professional and able to control her emotions but she couldn't deny the fact that being this close, merely inches from his face, made her heart burn to get even closer.

This operation had thrown her for a loop. She rationalized her feelings were just the product of living in such close proximity with one another, their combined goal of protecting the children and the danger of the unsub. However, the comfort from her nightmares that was becoming more and more habit than spontaneity remained in the back of her mind. She had always loved spending time with Derek, even more so since her return; but lately, she found herself not just wanting it but also _needing _it.

And if she could only read his mind, his thoughts were a perfect mirror of her own. The children finally went to bed after they were assured that the prince saved the princess with a kiss and they lived happily ever after.

The thunderstorm beat down hard against the windows of the house as Emily sat in the bed reading her book while Derek had just finished getting ready for bed in the master bathroom. She had finally found the time to get past the first chapter of the book she was so eager to read when suddenly, she saw the bedroom door open out of the corner of her eyes. Instantly, she glanced up, ready for an attack; but her eyes rested on the small figure who's tiny hand was still resting on the doorframe.

"Maggie?" Emily asked sweetly as she looked on the little girl's tear-filled face. "What's wrong?" she asked Maggie who held her stuffed animal tight in her hands. Before she could answer, another gust of crack of thunder made the small child jump.

"I love my new room but I keep hearing scary sounds," she sniffed, but Emily knew the little girl must miss her mom and dad as well.

"Come here baby," Emily soothed as the little girl clamored up onto the bed with Emily's help.

Emily pulled the little girl tight to her side and tucked her in close. "The sounds are only the storm. Nothing can hurt you, I promise. It will end soon," Emily said as she hugged her tight.

"Can I stay here with you?" Maggie asked.

"Of course," Emily smiled down at her. Maggie snuggled deeper into the covers and rested her small head against her new mom, feeling safe and happy once again. At this moment, more light spilled into the room as Derek opened the bathroom door and walked out of it, stopping as he saw the heartwarming sight before him.

"Hey Maggie," he grinned. "Are you scared of the thunderstorm?"

The little girl merely nodded. "I used to be afraid of them too. But it's okay. Nothing to be afraid of."

"Is it your bedtime too?" Maggie began. "Are you getting in the bed now?"

With that question, as innocent as it was, Derek and Emily locked eyes, minds whirling as to how they could try to explain to the child why the two, who were supposed to be married, weren't going to sleep in the same bed. But Emily looked at Derek with a smile and a nod, telling him it was okay. She knew that eventually some time in the night they would end up curled up beside one another anyway, so she didn't see a point in delaying.

"Yes," Derek nodded as he made his way over. "So scoot over ladybug before the tickle-monster gets you," he laughed, lunging onto the bed as he reached for the little girl. Maggie squealed with excitement.

The three finally stopped giggling, turned off the lights and tried to fall asleep to the sound of the rain falling outside. Maggie quickly fell asleep because of the safety and comfort of her new parents. Derek and Emily however, did not get to do the same. Almost every hour they found each other's eyes in the night as they tried to reposition the squirmy and wiggling little girl, who's kicking feet and sprawling arms woke the agents too many times to count and morning came far too quickly for the two exhausted agents.

The alarm went off, eliciting a groan from Emily. "I'm going to take a shower," Derek mumbled to which Emily nodded, closing her eyes again and wrapping her arm around the still sleeping Maggie beside her.

Just a bit later, Derek came out to wake the girls up but it looked as though they already were. Emily sat there as Maggie sat cross-legged beside her, full of energy once again. Morgan could hear that Maggie was telling the woman rapidly about school, to which she smiled. At first, no one realized that Emily's shirt had moved, revealing her abdomen. In her continued excitement, Maggie looked down and stopped her dialogue to ask a question.

"What's that?" Maggie asked innocently as she pointed her tiny finger at Emily's scar on her exposed stomach.

Emily's breath caught in her throat as the little girl's cold fingers touched her abdomen and the question caught her so off guard. But that was nothing compared to Derek's reaction. He just stood there at the foot of the bed, watching helplessly and unmoving. He couldn't take his eyes away. He felt as if his heart had stopped beating when he heard Maggie's question and saw the evidence of the damage Doyle had left on Emily.

It wasn't that it was ugly, quite the contrary actually. To Derek, nothing about Emily could be ugly. He wouldn't deny the fact that he thought she was perhaps one of the most, if not _the _most, beautiful woman he knew. Of course she was stunning in her own right but his reasoning went so much deeper than that. She was intelligent, passionate, funny, tough and stubborn.

But above all, it was the way she cared for others that made him see the beauty within. It was the moments when he would stand in awe of her in the field, on this case even. She was so guarded with her own heart but she would open up for any and everyone she came in contact with who just needed someone, anyone, to listen and help.

And it was that wound that was the best representation of just how beautifully she loved. How she was willing to sacrifice everything for the love and protection of her team, her family. It wasn't the scarred skin that ignited the fiery burn of anger in his soul, it was the fact that anyone had dared to lay a single hand on his partner and think to harm her.

"It's just a scar," Derek heard Emily answer, but they both knew it was so much more than that. He tried, unsuccessfully, to blink back the tears and moved his head to look up at her face.

"Does it hurt?"

Emily paused before she answered. "No, not anymore," she said, but Derek knew she wasn't telling the truth.

"What happened? Did you get hurt?"

"Yes honey, I did. A very bad man tried to hurt me and did this to me," Emily explained to the child and her eyes then moved to Morgan's face for the first time during the exchange. She knew he had been watching her but she couldn't bear to see his hurting face for fear she would fall to pieces at a glimpse of the pain of their memories of that night. "But you know what? Derek saved me and made everything better."

"Like the prince saved the princess in the story?" Maggie asked expressively, as she equated Emily's story to the fairytale she had heard the night before. "Did he kill the bad man and then kiss you so you could live happily ever after?"

"Something like that," Emily smiled down at Maggie, hoping the answer was sufficient and the conversation was over so no more awkwardness would ensue. But she could tell by the sad look on Derek's face that this conversation was far from over between them. "You better go wake up your brother and get dressed for school, okay? I'll come fix you breakfast in a minute."

"Okay," Maggie responded sweetly and skipped off to Carter's room. Emily got up from the bed quickly, avoiding Derek's gaze as she shuffled past him towards the dresser. Derek instantly turned to her despite the tension from the emotional reminder that hung in the air.

She stood in front of the mirror but he just watched her, trying to stop the water from creeping into his eyes at the memory of her lying on that warehouse floor, so helpless as he held her and begged her to stay with him. He thought of not only the pain Doyle put her through but of her having to go through it alone for seven months. Wasn't that enough he thought?

"Em, I'm so sorry," he finally breathed as Emily then noticed how the image had so deeply affected him.

"Oh Derek," she turned and whispered softly. "It's okay."

"No, it's just not fair to you. I heard you yesterday with Maggie. I know you weren't just talking about her mom. Those months without you were some of the worst of my life," she started to speak an apology but he kept speaking. "No Em, I don't blame you. Just knowing you were all alone in those hospitals and hotels, then dealing with the nightmares with no one to turn to and knowing Doyle was still alive… I can't imagine how hard it was for you. You should never have had to go through that."

"Derek," she began tenderly as she reached out to touch his arm, her eyes looking thoughtfully at him as she remembered that everything he had said was true. "I meant what I said yesterday when I was talking to Maggie about her mom," she said. "No it wasn't fair that I had to go. I hated it, every moment of it. All I wanted to do was tell you. All I wanted to do was come home – home to my family. But thinking of all of you, knowing that I could protect you, _had _to protect you, even if I was far away – that got me through the pain – physical _and _emotional."

"You shouldn't still have to deal with the pain he left," he spoke, glancing at her scar and thinking of her nightmares. "Once he died, it should have ended, all of it. I just hate seeing you in pain."

"I know, but you know how I look at it? A little bit of medicine, some pain, some scars and a few nightmares here and there are definitely worth it if I can still just be alive to experience them." She smiled as she saw him realize the truth of her. It had taken her a while to get into that frame of mind, and she was still struggling to take up permanent residence there. She was getting there through, and Derek had been the main one to help her; and waking up and being able to see the team, her family, everyday again had helped her realize just how lucky she was, even if the road to get there had once seemed hopeless.

"I'm just so glad you _are _still alive to experience them, even if I wish you didn't have to," Derek said in response to her words as had he suddenly taken a step forward and engulfed Emily in his strong arms. She fell into him effortlessly, wrapping her arms around him and letting his comforting presence wash over her.

"Me too," she whispered over his shoulder, chin resting close to his neck. "I wasn't lying in what I told Maggie this morning you know. You _did_ save me. And I'm grateful for that every day."

"And I always will Princess," Derek grinned caringly, a grin which Emily returned up at him in his arms as they thought of Maggie's comment about the fairytales. They stood that way for a bit longer, knowing it was longer than coworkers would make the intimate gesture but they told themselves that their circumstances were different. There wasn't a manual on the emotional trauma of holding your partner in your arms as they died in front of you, believing they were dead or waking up being told you can no longer be who you've always been and dealing with the fact that the only people you have ever truly cared about can never see you again. All of that but then getting a second chance you never thought you'd have – it was a situation unique from anyone else's… and was becoming more so by the minute. They finally pulled away, but both felt a longing to reach back for the other the moment they separated.

"We've got to get them ready for school," Emily spoke first.

"We're going to need our rest for tonight you know. I'm convinced Maggie is actually an octopus you know. I'm pretty sure my back has bruises from where her four legs and four arms hit me last night." Emily laughed in agreement before he continued. "You just get ready. I'll take care of the little munchkins," Derek smiled, rushing out of the bedroom before she could protest, leaving her smiling at how thankful she was that of anyone she could have been paired with, not just on this assignment, but from the moment she joined the BAU, she was given a partner like Derek Morgan – and she told herself it was natural because of the operation they were on but she still couldn't help but let her mind wander to thinking of him as just a little bit more.

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**Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to leave your comments, ideas and/or suggestions below! Thanks!**


	8. Home

_Hello my dear readers! I hope you are all having a fabulous week!_

_Here is the next chapter. I am SO sorry for the time it has taken me to update. I started a new job and it's been pretty crazy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!_

_As always, thank you ALL for your reviews!_

_Special thanks to AnnKa for your incredible help with this story. You are amazing!_

_Thank you to jhplug for helping me will my ideas! You're great!_

_And of course criss128, my Demily BFF. Thanks for always being there for me for everything!_

_Don't forget to leave your comments or ideas below. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!  
_

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**Home**

**"Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone,**

**then all you can see is what is not there any more."**

**- Robin Hobb, _Fool's Fate_ -**

The morning wore on and soon Morgan and Prentiss realized that getting three children ready for school was perhaps even more difficult than hand-to-hand combat. As if a cranky and crying Ben wasn't enough, Carter had somehow managed to misplace his favorite stuffed animal in the course of the morning, rendering him hysterical in fear he would never find it. Maggie was equally as difficult because of the fact that the pink hair-bow sitting atop her soft, brown hair was lopsided and pulling her hair.

The two agents were getting close to pulling their own hair out before they finally fed Ben, found Carter's toy and readjusted Maggie's hair before successfully piling them all in the car. As they were finally on their way to the preschool, Emily reached over for Derek from the passenger seat, delicately brushing his hand to get his attention. "Never. Again," she mouthed dramatically in reference to that morning.

"Oh come on Em," Derek laughed with a wink. "You've got to admit, it was fun."

"I would hesitate to use that word but I _will _admit that I'm certainly glad I wasn't alone," she smiled.

"Me too," Derek responded sincerely. The affectionate moment passed as they pulled into the parking lot of the daycare. "Here we are!" Derek said to the children.

"School!" Carter exclaimed brightly.

"I get to see Miss Leslie!" Maggie gleefully cried.

Derek and Emily got the kids out of the car along with their backpacks, lunches, blankets and stuffed animals. They barely had enough free hands to make it through the door of the school after being buzzed in by the security guard. The director of the facility greeted them warmly before she pointed out the children's classrooms. The agents were immediately pulled along towards the classrooms by the hands by Maggie and Carter.

They took Carter to his classroom first. His teacher was a young, energetic teacher who the little boy ran to as he exclaimed, "Miss Leslie!"

The agents felt quite at ease as the teacher introduced herself and told them she would take special care of their new little boy, especially after all he had been through. Derek and Emily helped Carter place his things in his cubby and he showed them all the room's centers. He hugged them all goodbye before going to play with his friends and Maggie escorted them to her class.

Miss Kenzie greeted the new parents warmly and gave Maggie a hug. The little girl ran off quickly to play with her friends while the adults talked. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Phillips! Maggie is such a lovely child. Full of energy but very sweet," the teacher commented with a chuckle in the direction of the four-year-old.

"Yes," Emily agreed.

"_Definitely _full of energy," Derek smiled.

"That is precisely why we chose her for the largest role in our annual Christmas pageant," the teacher said. "Oh! I forgot you don't know about that! This Wednesday night we are having the preschool's Christmas pageant. Every child has some role but the oldest class, this one, always get the top parts. Parents love it and so do the kids. We have a little reception afterwards with cookies and such. It's a fun night! Do you think the kids will still be up for it?"

"Oh I'm sure they will be," Emily responded, strangely hoping the unsub would hold off his attack in anticipation of the fun, family-oriented night.

"Great! We've been working on this night for weeks. Mrs. Foster already made the children's costumes. Mr. Foster was actually going to build us a small set but, well," the woman finished with tears in her eyes. "It's just so sad for these kids. Their parents were such incredible people."

"Yes," Emily nodded sadly.

"You know, I can still build that set if you need it," Derek offered.

"Oh, are you sure? I can't imagine all you've had to do just getting three children."

"Nonsense, I'd be happy too. I wouldn't want the kids' program to go without it."

"You have no idea how wonderful that is!" Miss Kenzie exclaimed. "I'll get you the drawing Mr. Foster had drawn up for us."

Once the couple was all set, they waved goodbye to Maggie. Although she was playing happily with her friends, she immediately ran over to the agents and gave them tight, long hugs where they bent down to face her.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Yes sweetie. You're going to have a fun day at school with Miss Kenzie and your friends!" Emily replied.

"But you'll come back right?" she asked, still hesitant. Derek and Emily shared a look before returning their gazes to the small child's face. No doubt she was unsure of the adults who cared for her after her parents never returned.

"Of course we will Mags," Derek smiled brightly as he pulled the girl in for one more hug.

Maggie kissed her little brother goodbye and ran back, worries erased, to her friends.

Morgan and Prentiss finally made their way back to their car with a happy baby Ben who was still just a bit too young to be in school yet. They weren't sure why, but both agents felt a hint of sadness as they left the older children.

"I guess this is what real parents feel like, huh?" Emily joked.

"I guess so," Derek agreed. "I'm sure they'll be fine. They'll have fun with their friends and we'll be picking them up before we know it."

"Yes. I'm just glad there is security there. I know the MO says the unsub is after the baby but I still worry."

"Me too," Derek agreed as they rode along. "So, if I'm going to build this set, I'm really going to need some supplies."

They agreed to stop at a home improvement store for the supplies before they returned to the house. Ben was more than ready for his morning nap once they returned. The agents decided to check in with the team before beginning on the preschool's project.

"Hello my proud little parentals," Garcia exclaimed.

"Hi Garcia," Emily grinned.

"So, how is everything today?" Hotch asked.

"Well getting three kids ready and off to preschool is more difficult than kicking down a door if you must know," Derek joked.

The team laughed before getting serious about the profile of the unsub they were hunting. "We still aren't finding any connections between the families so we're still hoping we'll get lucky," JJ explained.

"But we did discover that there was some DNA found at the scene under the fingernails of Mrs. Foster. It is being analyzed and sent over as soon as possible. We don't know if the individual will be in they system but it might be able to tell us something," Rossi explained.

"Any developments at the school?" Reid asked.

"Not at all actually," Emily explained. "That place is top notch. They have a guard, a security system and no one there seemed suspicious. But we'll still keep an eye out when we pick Maggie and Carter up this afternoon."

"We'll keep you updated," Derek added.

"Sounds good. We have surveillance set up with undercover police who are rotating drive by watches by your house just in case the unsub decides to strike," Hotch spoke.

"Thanks Hotch," Emily said. The team said goodbye and the undercover couple decided to unload the scenery supplies in the garage. Derek set up a workstation to begin cutting the wood for the scenery.

"What can I do?" Emily asked with anticipation.

"Em, I'm just cutting the wood. It's okay, I've got it," Derek said.

"Derek Morgan…" she cleared her throat before correcting herself. "Derek Phillips, I am going to help with this. I may not be able to cook but I can certainly do some physical labor. Especially if I'm strong enough to beat you," she referred to their regular workouts as she finished.

"Yes ma'am," he replied jokingly, but still slightly scared behind the grin. "Well I only have a few pieces to cut. Mainly, we need to paint before we can put this together. It will probably need to dry for a few hours first. You can start on that if you want."

"Perfect!" Emily nodded. She got to work on the painting as Morgan sawed the pieces to their correct size.

"This makes me miss your house projects," Emily commented.

"I miss them too," Derek responded.

"I haven't gone with you lately… actually, ever since I've been back. Did you ever sell that house in Providence Woods?" Emily questioned.

Morgan's mind flashed back to a time before Ian Doyle. He and his partner would go to that house as much as they could. After the case when she found out about his properties, Morgan took Prentiss along and ever since, she had helped him restore his houses. They released their frustrations and found comfort in creating something beautiful after the horrors they saw every day with their jobs.

When they would finish, Emily then helped Derek pick out the next house. So only months before she left, Emily had helped Derek pick out an old, brick house, in a cul-de-sac of course, that had been in deep need of repair. Although he was hesitant of such a huge undertaking, Prentiss had loved it so much that he couldn't turn it down. And he reasoned that with both of them working on it, it wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

It started off that way. Derek was certain they would finish the house faster than planned, even though he was enjoying the extra time spent with Emily. He didn't know that would end long before the house was finished.

After Emily's supposed death, Morgan was either on a case or watching Declan. He tried going to the house, working on it at first. He drowned his sorrows in every wall he knocked down and every new piece he put into place, imagining he wasn't creating something beautiful because of his cases, but because it would have to be perfect – something Emily would have been proud of. But the house was still far from finished. He couldn't bear to let go one of the last attachments he felt he had to his partner, so the projects became more extravagant and he took longer than normal in completing them.

One day, he walked into the house and the realization was just too much to bear. He couldn't spend one more day in the house he'd come to loathe because every time he walked through the door, he was reminded that he would be working alone that day. He wouldn't get to teach Emily how to repair a leaky faucet, put down tile or just eat Chinese food on the floor in front of the dusty fireplace. He would never get another day like that. Not that day or any day after, or so he thought.

When she returned however, they trained and came to spend even more time than they had together. But he never brought up the house. He was worried that if he went back, if _they _went back, it might never get finished if he lost her again.

"No," he finally replied. "I actually never finished it."

"What?" she asked with surprise.

"I started to but," his words broke off as Emily noticed the sad face that accompanied the quiver in his voice. "Em, you were gone. It was _our _project. I just couldn't do it without you because if I did, if I tried, it just reminded me that I was exactly that: without you."

"Derek," Emily said with soft sympathy as her hand reached out for his to stop his painting strokes and turn his full attention to here. "Not anymore. I'm so sorry,"

"No, don't be. I know why you had to go. I know now," he answered quickly. "I just didn't know if you would want to go back."

"Of course I do! It was always one of the only things that actually made me feel like I was doing something good in the world. With our jobs… that feeling comes and goes. But turning those rundown houses into homes for others, that's one of the best feelings in the world. Especially when you get to do it with your best friend," Derek only smiled back at her words. "We can still finish it you know. Together. That is… if you want me to."

"I couldn't think of anything I'd love more," he grinned.

The two worked hard on turning the bland pieces of wood into a masterpiece in preschool standards. Just as the finishing strokes of paint were put on the pieces, Ben's cries signaled he was up and ready for lunch.

The afternoon passed quickly. Morgan and Prentiss took turns feeding the baby while they fed themselves before changing into clothes without paint on them. Before long, it was time to pick up the children at school.

They ran into Adrianne Grey, the nurse at the preschool, who gave them a warm greeting. They told her the dinner she and her husband had prepared the previous night was delicious and thanked her once more before going to retrieve the children.

Maggie and Carter both ran to greet their new mom and dad and talked endlessly about their day with their friends. They took turns animatedly explaining what they had learned, showing pictures they had drawn and acting out their parts in the play on the way to the car, in the car and long after they arrived home.

For the rest of the afternoon, Derek and Emily worked in the garage where the set was waiting for its finishing touches while Ben was in his swing and the older children rode their tricycles and used sidewalk chalk on the driveway on the uniquely warm, December afternoon.

They watched the children while Derek screwed the pieces in place and Emily helped nail them in for extra support. She didn't think about the fact that looking up to her partner to laugh at his joke to the children while swinging the hammer might cause her plan to go awry.

She instantly jumped up and let out a startled yelp causing Morgan to rush by her side. The children followed suit. "Are you okay?" all three seemed to ask at the same time.

"I'm fine," Emily said instantly, trying to mask the pain. She wasn't sure who she didn't want to worry more – the children or Morgan. "It's just kind of sore now."

"Whenever I got hurt, my mommy and daddy always kissed it to make it better," Maggie said as she pulled Emily's hurt hand down with her tiny one.

"I think that definitely works," Emily smiled thankfully as Maggie and Carter both moved in to kiss Emily's finger.

"Now it's Derek's turn," Maggie pointed.

Prentiss looked at her partner with an embarrassed face. But he reached down delicately for her hand and brought her throbbing finger to his lips. Emily's heart began to beat quickly in her chest at the unusual gesture but the moment didn't last too long as Derek began to speak.

"All better?" he asked with concern.

"All better," she winked towards him and the children.

""Good, but how about we stop this trend of you getting injured, okay?" Derek asked with a smirk.

"Gladly!" Emily laughed, still clutching her now bruised finger. The pain was quickly dissipating but the thought of Derek's lips against her skin was ever present.

The sun went down and the chill of the winter returned. The family went inside, eating dinner and watching one of the many animated Christmas movies on during that time of year after bath time.

Just as the movie ended, Maggie and Carter begged for their bedtime story as usual. So, Derek agreed to read the story while Emily took Ben to his nursery.

Emily hummed softly along with the lullaby music playing to the baby she rocked in her arms. She closed her eyes and held Ben tight against her chest feeling as though she had to protect him. It was how her mind… how her heart worked. She was just like Derek – a protector. Kids were her soft spot. So she held Ben until he was in a deep, deep sleep until she finally laid him down gently in the crib, placed one more kiss on his forehead and tiptoed her way back downstairs.

She was just about to call out to the rest of the family before she saw a sight she never wanted to forget. Derek was lying on the couch with both Maggie and Carter cuddled closely on top of him. The fairy tale bedtime book rested on their laps in Derek's hands but all of their eyes were closed and they seemed to breathe as one.

Emily couldn't bear to disturb them but knew the kids should eventually get in their own beds. Derek also certainly couldn't sleep on the couch all night. But before she woke them, Emily pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the sweet sight. She sent the image to JJ and Garcia with the caption "Agent Dad" underneath.

Emily smiled even wider as her phone was instantly flooded with text messages of how adorable Derek and the children were. She agreed and finally moved in to wake up her stand in children and husband.

"Derek," she whispered as she leaned over and touched his shoulder with one hand and the little girl's head with the other. "Maggie? Carter?"

The three stirred. Derek woke up instantly while the children looked up at her with sleepy eyes. "Come on you two, it's time for bed," Emily spoke softly. She picked Carter up in her arms who rested his tired head on her shoulder while Derek readjusted and lifted Maggie up. They followed one another up the stairs and got both of the children in their beds. They each fell back asleep instantly.

Emily met Derek in the upstairs hallway and they both walked quietly downstairs. The two put the finishing touches on the set and loaded it into the car. They both knew it was wiser to do that tonight rather than wait until morning when the task of loading three children into the car was more than enough.

When they were cleaning up the mess, Emily stumbled upon the presents Garcia and JJ had placed in the garage cabinets that the Fosters had bought their children. "Morgan?" she called. "We can't forget these gifts. Their parents may not be here anymore but Santa is definitely coming for these kids."

"I like the way you think Princess," Morgan chuckled.

The two finally cleaned up the garage and the toys all over the first floor of the house. They were both exhausted and eagerly climbed the stairs to get some sleep before another crazy day.

Emily emerged from the shower, excited to finally rest.

"How's the finger?" Derek asked with a grin from the bed.

"It's fine now, thanks. But I think I'll stay away from hammers for now on. You can handle those evil little things. I'll stick with knocking down walls and painting when we work on the house again," Emily responded as she sat and swung her legs into the bed beside him.

"Sounds like the perfect plan," Derek beamed, thrilled at the prospect of getting to work on houses again with her.

"I think so too," Emily breathed contently.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked in reference to their sleeping arrangements. They hadn't really discussed it before now, but they didn't need to. Of course they told themselves it was so they didn't confuse the children. Derek and Emily knew that no matter where they started off, they would wake up in the same place. They might as well skip the step in between.

"It won't be any different from any other night here. I'm okay with it if you are. We don't want to confuse the kids right?" Emily smirked.

"Right," he smiled. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Thank you. Goodnight Derek."

"Goodnight Emily," he said as he turned off the light and laid down in the bed beside her.

Morgan and Prentiss, though in a more than rare situation, were beginning to enjoy their assignment more and more. They didn't even consider it as an assignment anymore. Playing house here, with a kids and family at Christmastime was starting to feel more like what a home should. But they knew in the back of their minds that very soon, it would end with the arrival of the person they were here to catch. And the unsub was even closer than they thought.


	9. Perfect Parents

_Hello my lovely readers! I hope you are all doing splendidly!_

_Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! As for the unsub, I promise more clues are coming in the next chapters but if I dropped any now, you would figure it out. However, here's a hint – No, you do not know them yet but you have heard of them._

_As always, thank you ALL for your reviews!_

_Special thanks to the amazingly, incredible AnnKa!_

_A huge thank you to jhplug for helping me will my ideas!_

_And of course criss128, my Demily BFF. Thanks for always being there for me for everything!_

_Don't forget to leave your comments or ideas below. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Perfect Parents**

"**Christmas doesn't come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more..."****  
****-****Dr. Seuss****,****How the Grinch Stole Christmas**** -**

That Wednesday, Derek and Emily woke up in the same place they had every morning since moving into the house for their unique, undercover situation. They were inches away from each other, comforting each other with their sheer presence – close enough to be borderline unprofessional but still far enough away that their bodies secretly longed for the warmth of the other.

This time though, it wasn't the sun, the alarm clocks or one another that woke them up but rather, little Maggie who ran into the bedroom and pounced on their bed in a fit of giggles. Morgan and Prentiss couldn't help but smile at her energy and quickly learned that it came from her excitement about the Christmas pageant that night.

Carter soon followed suit and the children were jumping up and down on the large bed in anticipation of the big night ahead of them. They explained to the agents that this was how they had woken their parents up many times before. Emily quickly reached to tickle the little children before the reminder of their parents ruined the happy mood and ended in sad tears.

Derek went to get an equally happy and extra squirmy baby Ben who, although could not comprehend exactly what was going on, was instantly joyful in reaction to his brother and sister. Emily attempted to get the older kids dressed for school but all they wanted to do was act out the play for her over and over again. Meanwhile Derek cooked breakfast downstairs.

Everyone, including the adults, were finally dressed, fed, and loaded into the car along with the massive piece of scenery for the play – which only helped to make the children even more rambunctious and excited. Morgan and Prentiss played a kids Christmas CD they had bought on the shopping excursion earlier in the week that the kids, even baby Ben, tried to dance and sing along to.

The new family laughed their way to the classrooms from the parked car, saying their cheerful goodbyes before the children went off to prepare for the play with their friends. The teachers reminded them of both the Christmas play and the class parties that would happen during lunch the next day. Every family typically brought a treat so they volunteered to bring cupcakes.

Emily and Derek had once again run into nurse Adrianne Grey who helped them unload the scenery and place it in the auditorium after the children ran up to hug her. She smiled as she watched them enter the building with their new parents, all their glowing smiles evident miles away.

"You two are so good for them," she told Emily after the children were in their classes and the adults set up the auditorium for the big night.

"Thank you, but you know, I think it's even more the other way around. They're good for us," Emily answered to which Derek smiled in agreement.

"I'm so glad. I know Claire and Thomas would be so happy that Maggie, Carter and Ben are so well looked after," Adrienne commented, attempting to hold back tears.

"I hope so," Derek said thoughtfully.

"I'm sure they would be proud to know that you and David continue to look after them as well," Emily said as she placed a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. "They were truly blessed to have such wonderful best friends."

"Thank you," said Adrienne as she wiped her tears away. "I'm just so glad the children are all together. David and I even considered adopting them before we found out you agreed to take them on. We just couldn't bear for them to be separated from one another, and honestly, from us. Claire was like my sister. We've just always been so close to them – since they were born. I'm so glad you're keeping them here at the preschool. I'm so lucky the other nurse left when she did so I could get this job. I'm glad I will still get to see them every day."

"Well, we are certainly glad the children have people who love them here. We couldn't take them away from that," said Emily, deep in thought.

The adults finished setting up for the Christmas pageant and Derek and Emily then took the baby back home after stopping for a quick lunch. It was time for his nap so Derek and Emily decided to get a head start on wrapping the presents for the little ones while their curious eyes were not at home.

Emily got out the wrapping paper, tape, ribbons and bows while Derek carried the presents from the garage into the living room. They made themselves comfortable on the floor as Christmas music played in the background. After Derek brought in the last load of presents, he went back to the kitchen and brought in two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and proceeded to hand one to Emily.

"Thanks," Emily said with a grin at the surprise gesture.

"Well," Derek began. "I know you don't drink coffee anymore and hot cocoa is perfect for such a chilly day."

"It _is_ perfect," Emily said as she looked thoughtfully at Derek.

They began wrapping the enormous amount of presents for each of the children as they talked as comfortably and effortlessly as they always did.

"Now _this _is an awesome gift!" Derek exclaimed as he held up a remote control helicopter for Carter. "Do we have to save this for Christmas day?"

"Yes," Emily nodded. "You're worse than they are," she joked. "Maybe I'll buy one of those for you for your present since I still have no idea what to get you."

"Em, I told you. You don't have to get me anything."

"I always get you something," she said in a tone that was obvious she was still unsure if their friendship had fully recovered after the past year's unforeseen events.

"Christmas already came for me this year. I got you back. That's all I could have wanted," Derek looked into her eyes sincerely, calming her nerves. "You already gave me the best present I could ask for. You're back," he said softly, his mind going back to a time when he thought she was gone for good. "I can't think of anything I'd want more."

Emily could only smile, worried if she tried to speak, her emotions would give way to her tears. She collected her thoughts before responding. "All I wanted to do was come home. I don't know if I've told you this yet but thank you. Thank you for protecting Declan while I was gone. For hunting down Doyle," she said as she reached for his hand. "I couldn't be here today if you hadn't. Thank you for fighting for me."

"Always," Derek said with a wink and a squeeze of her hand. The moment passed more quickly than they both would have liked, nerves and thoughts of the rules of their job taking over as they always did. But somehow they still knew that this Christmas would still be better than any other because the world was finally right again – they had received what they had longed for since that dreadful night in the warehouse: they were back where they belonged.

The agents were nearly done wrapping the gifts for the children when it was time to go pick them up again. Ben was still asleep and the cupcakes for the party were still not made, so Emily decided to stay at the house and start working on them while Derek went to pick up the kids. Even though he told her he would help make them when he got back, Emily insisted she do them herself. She had to prove to him, the team, and mostly herself that she wasn't a complete failure as a cook.

She was covered in flour as she pulled the perfectly baked cupcakes out of the oven when the phone rang. It was JJ and Garcia on speaker. "Hey guys," she said excitedly.

"Hey you," JJ said over the phone.

"So how is parenthood treating you and my chocolate boo?" Garcia asked.

"Very well. Derek is picking up the kids from school now," Emily chuckled before filling them in on their recent activities and the upcoming event that night.

"I'm jealous," Penelope said.

"Having an unsub ready to attack at any second is nothing to be jealous of P," Emily said.

"Well living with Derek Morgan might just make up for that. So tell me, how many times have you seen him shirtless already?"

Emily was happy they weren't chatting face to face so her blushing cheeks wouldn't betray her. "No Garcia. No juicy details to report," Emily tried to lie, leaving out the fact that they had shared a bed every night since moving in.

"You're no fun," the tech pouted.

"So any new developments on the case?" Emily attempted to change the subject.

"That's actually one of the reasons we called," JJ spoke up.

"Well that and to demand more adorable pictures like the one you sent me last night," Garcia added in reference to the picture of Derek asleep with the children that Emily had sent them the evening before.

"I'll work on it," Emily grinned.

"Hey Em, the boys are back. Just in time," JJ got back on task.

"Hi Emily," a voice from the other line said.

"Hey Reid!"

"So the DNA we found wasn't enough to find a definite match in the system, even if this person was in the system. However, we did discover that it belongs to a woman," he explained.

"Really?" Emily said with surprise.

"There was more DNA at the scene but it was very little," Rossi chimed it. "With the severity and intensity of these kills, we're beginning to think this is a two-person job. Of course, we can't be sure of anything yet."

"We are also still attempting to find a motivation for the unsub or unsubs' actions," Hotch added. "But the fact we have found female DNA helps us to better understand that this is most likely an emotionally motivated ritual."

"We just need to find out why they are after the babies," Emily said. "But wouldn't someone notice a woman getting brand new babies every three or four weeks?" she asked, unwilling to entertain the notion that the unsub would kill the baby after the murder of the parents.

"Of course. So we have to wonder if that is why our unsub is continuing the kill. There is something specific about the baby he or she wants. We just can't seem to figure out what exactly they are doing with the baby afterwards."

"We need to get lucky with a lead," JJ commented. "That way we can get you both out of there by Christmas on Sunday."

"Yes," Emily said, but sadness still crept into her heart at the thought of the children's future. "I just hate to think of these kids having to go to another home with new people they don't know. And what if they get separated?"

"Unless someone is cleared by social services and willing to take on three children, there may not be any choice Prentiss," Hotch said with a sad tone, but Emily still remained hopeful that somehow she and Derek would make sure Maggie, Carter and Ben's lives would not get worse.

"Alright. Well, I'll fill Morgan in when he gets home with the kids and we'll see if we can come up with any new leads. Thanks guys," Emily said before she told her team goodbye.

The rest of the family finally returned and the children were thrilled over the new presence of wrapped gifts for them under the tree. Emily filled Derek in but they both were still at a dead end. Maggie then helped Emily decorate the cupcakes while Carter and Derek played with his racetrack. Before they knew it, it was time to get ready for the preschool's Christmas play.

Derek quickly dressed himself before taking care of Carter and Ben. Emily took much longer. Dressing up and curling her hair while Maggie got ready with her.

"I like your curly hair," Maggie exclaimed as she skipped excitedly around the master bathroom in the festive red dress Emily had picked out for the special night. She rather enjoyed having her own little doll to dress up.

"Thank you," Emily smiled as she placed the curling iron down.

"Can you make mine look like that?" the little girl asked.

"Of course! Come here." Emily lifted the tiny girl up and sat her down on the master bathroom counter. "Be careful, it's hot," she cautioned as the little girl reached for the curling iron.

The agent began delicately curling the little girl's already soft curls. Maggie talked incessantly about her part in the little play and Emily listened attentively.

Suddenly however, Maggie's face turned serious as she tilted her head to ask her foster mom a question. "Will my mommy and daddy be back in time so they can come tonight?"

Emily's heart nearly broke at the young girl's pleading eyes and misunderstanding of her parents' death. "No sweetie. Remember what we talked about? They can't be here anymore," she started to explain but saw the tears forming in Maggie's eyes as her lips began to quiver. "But that doesn't mean they won't be watching. You may not be able to see them but they'll always be there, watching you and Carter and Ben."

"In heaven?" Maggie asked, tears subsiding as she remembered their early conversation.

"Yes honey, in heaven." Emily smiled as she hugged Maggie.

"But you'll be there right?" she asks, nervous about her time on stage.

"Of course I will," Emily smiled at her as she brushed a stray curl from her eyes.

"And Derek too?" she asked expectantly.

"Definitely. We wouldn't miss it. We'll be cheering for you and Carter from the crowd the whole time. You're going to do great!"

"Em? Maggie? Come on, we're going to be late!" they heard Derek call from downstairs.

"We'll be there in just a minute!" Emily called back. "Boys, boys, boys. They don't understand that girls take longer because we're prettier. I think it's because they're jealous," she winked.

"Yep," Maggie nodded with delight.

"One more little curl," she said as she turned her attention back to Maggie as she curled the last piece. "There," she said brightly as she turned the little girl around carefully. "Just beautiful. You'll be the prettiest one on the stage," she commented as a sense of motherly pride overwhelmed her. She'd never experienced moments like this with her own mom; Ambassador Prentiss had always been too busy, but of course that didn't mean she loved her daughter any less. But suddenly Emily was pulled out of her thoughts as Maggie tugged on her arm.

"I look like you!" Maggie exclaimed as she saw her brown curls beside Emily's in the mirror. Emily grinned as she picked her up and the little girl gave her a tight hug before the woman set her back on the ground.

"Let's go," Emily said with excitement after checking herself in the mirror once more. Maggie reached for her hand and pulled her along. They walked through the hallway and began to descend the stairs where the boys were all waiting at the bottom.

Derek couldn't help but stare at the vision he saw before him. In her adorable red dress and bow, Maggie led her foster mother down the sprawling stairwell. But it was Emily that Morgan couldn't stop looking up at. She was a vision in a deep green dress with soft curls and her signature, beaming smile.

"You are going to be the prettiest one up on that stage little princess," he told Maggie as she interrupted his thoughts with a tug on his pants leg to show off her curls.

"And I'm pretty sure you're going to be the prettiest mom in the crowd Princess," Derek winked, leading the children to the car before Emily could protest his compliment as usual.

The two older kids went to meet with their classes while Derek and Emily went to find a seat in the auditorium. Dr. David Grey waved them over and insisted they sit with he and Adrienne, who was still helping the teachers get the children in their places backstage. He bounced Ben on his lap as he talked with Morgan and Prentiss, telling them stories of their friendship with the Fosters.

Adrienne finally returned to her seat, taking a turn to hold the baby, and the couples talked until the lights went down as the auditorium was filled with the sound of high-pitched, excited children's voices. Carter's class took the stage first. Just like the rest of his class, the little boy looked nervously out into the audience. The Greys grinned encouragingly, Derek waved and Emily smiled widely at him, and suddenly, the little boy's face lit up and his nervousness disappeared.

Maggie's class appeared soon after, and true to form, the little girl's outgoing personality made her the star of the show. She danced around the stage but the moment she spotted her foster parents and the Greys, she waved to them brightly from the stage and carried on. The show ended, kids bowing on the stage before running to find their family in the audience.

Maggie and Carter hugged their new parents who told them how well they both did. David and Adrianne did the same and then insisted they take the family out for dinner. Derek rode with David while Emily drove Adrienne and the kids, enjoying the girl talk she usually had with JJ or Garcia. The agents were also grateful that the kids had someone who could remind them of their parents and the happy life they had when they were alive.

The couples and kids enjoyed their time at the grille they had stopped in, Dr. Grey insisted on paying the bill. They said their goodbyes and once again, the makeshift family loaded into the car. Derek and Emily were driving the sleepy children home when Garcia called.

"Hey babygirl," Morgan answered. "You miss me?"

"Derek, someone broke into the house," she instantly responded, her normal joking tone aside.

"What?"

"Police and undercover agents are there now so it will just look like a protocol alarm malfunction to neighbors."

"So they didn't catch them?" he asked with frustration.

"I'm afraid not sweet cheeks. The unsub was there for all of five seconds before they realized you were gone, the alarms tripped and they fled."

"Aren't there security cameras? Didn't you catch anything?"

"It was dark, they were dressed in all black – mask and all. The fled before we could get anything definitive," she said with regret.

"Okay babygirl, thank you anyway. We're almost to the house. We'll talk to the police. At least we know they're trying. No doubt they'll try again. We'll be ready for them."

"Yes, you will. I just want you both to be careful. Keep those little munchkins safe too okay?"

"You got it. We'll call you tomorrow." And with that he hung up. Luckily, the children were focused on a cartoon playing on the car's DVD player so he filled an anxious Emily in with hushed tones.

"They know where we are now," she breathed nervously. "If we wouldn't have been out with the Greys, we would have come face to face with them."

"We weren't there so we know that is what they are after. And the alarms sent them away. Next time, we might not be so lucky. They'll be much more prepared next time."

"Then we will be more prepared," Emily said with determination.

"That's my girl," Derek grinned at his partner, but worry still lingered over both of the agents as they drove toward their temporary home.

Derek spoke to the policemen and undercover agents who promised to increase their surveillance while Emily started getting the children ready for bed. They were full of questions but their new parents assured them that everything was okay. And despite their worry that the unsub had begun to attack, Derek and Emily would do everything in their power to keep that promise.

The children were all finally asleep, alarms set and Morgan and Prentiss were both exhausted. Emily emerged into the bedroom and Derek was already sitting on the bed.

"I've been thinking," he began. "Maybe the kids shouldn't go to school tomorrow. We can't protect them there."

"Of course they should go. They're having their class parties tomorrow, remember? The older ones will be safe at school. We need to protect Ben. He'll be with us the whole time and we'll be able to keep him safe when the unsub comes again."

"I hope so," he responded unsurely.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, worried he wasn't his normal protective self. "Morgan, what's wrong?"

"You were home alone with the baby today," Derek began as he looked down, wringing his hands. "_I_ left you alone. If the unsub had come here just a few hours earlier…" his voice caught in his throat.

"But he didn't," Emily said softly as she sat on the bed beside him.

"I shouldn't have left you alone."

"I could have handled it if you were gone. That's why we train together," Emily tried to reassure him.

"I know. But that's why we're partners. You're supposed to be able to trust me to have your back and today I let you down."

"Derek," she said seriously. "You've never let me down."

"I did once," he said sadly, and she instantly knew the memory in his mind that was causing the tears to form in his eyes.

"Listen to me. I made the choice to go after Doyle by myself. But you and the team still didn't let me do it alone. You didn't let me down Derek. You found me. You're the reason I'm still here. That's why I know that we're going to make it through this. We're going to keep these kids safe. Together."

Morgan looked deep into her eyes. His guilt quickly disappeared as she saw the determination and sincerity on her face. He knew she was right. But he still wouldn't let her face anything alone anymore… unsubs, nightmares, or anything life threw her way. He knew he would make sure he would be there with her. Always. The way she always was for him.

They soon fell asleep beside one another, comforted by the other's presence and promise to always be there. And very soon, that promise would be put to the ultimate test.

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**Hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment and have a lovely weekend!**


	10. Revelation

_Hello my dear readers! I hope you are all doing incredibly well!_

_Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! We're nearing the end and the unsub is getting closer. As promised, there is a lot revealed about the unsub this time around._

_As always, thank you ALL for your reviews!_

_Special thanks to the amazingly, incredible AnnKa, jhplug and criss128 – you are all too marvelous!_

_Don't forget to leave your comments or ideas below. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!  
_

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**Revelation**

"**I realized. Being a parent wasn't just about bearing a child. It was about bearing witness to its life."**

**-****Jodi Picoult, **_**Handle With Care**_**-**

On that chilly Thursday morning, Derek and Emily successfully got the excited children to school without any major issues. Luckily, Carter and Maggie were too focused on the upcoming parties their classes were having later that day to be overly difficult.

The temporary parents brought the cupcakes to the teachers for the party when they dropped of the older two children at their classrooms. On their way out, they passed the school's office. A group of laborers were hard at work on the door that led to the director's offices. The old door was resting against the wall and had a shattered glass window.

"Is everything alright?" Derek asked the director as she stood near the on-going project.

"Mr. and Mrs. Phillips!" the older woman exclaimed brightly. "Oh yes. Unfortunately, last night during our annual Christmas program, this door was broken."

"Did you call the police?" Emily asked with concern, mind instantly in FBI agent mode.

"No, no. It doesn't seem anything was taken or tampered with. The door was just broken – it's always locked and only the maintenance staff, security guard and myself have a key. It seems they attempted to use a computer but only those who know the password can get in. We assume it was some of the preschoolers' older siblings who became bored during the pageant. It isn't the first time something like this has happened."

The woman excused herself before Derek or Emily could comment further as a teacher came up to ask for her assistance with a matter.

"They used the computer?" Derek said to Emily as they strapped Ben into his car seat.

"There is no way that was done by kids. It has to have been the unsub."

"I'd like to believe that too but why?"

"Think about it. They broke in during the pageant – to the computer system. Where else would our personal information as the Fosters' new parents be stored? Like our new home address perhaps? And only hours later the unsub attempts to break into the house?" Emily reasoned.

"That's how they found us," Morgan spoke in realization.

"Exactly," Emily nodded in agreement and they both became in engrossed in possible scenarios to discover the unsub's identity.

After leaving the school, they went to buy more Christmas presents for the children before taking baby Ben along with them to meet with Garcia and Reid for lunch. They couldn't meet with the whole team but it was nice to see some of their friends in person rather than through the computer for a change.

Tight and overly enthusiastic hugs lasted only until Garcia got her hands on the baby and threatened the stand-in parents that she might never let him go. Even Reid got an excited turn with the always-happy baby.

The agents ordered their food before they quietly filled the team members in on the latest development. Garcia promised she would run even deeper checks on current preschool employees or people they were close to.

"So tell me you two, what is it like being married with three kids? Is it wonderful? Is it everything you imagined it would be or is it horrible? Is it complete and utter madness constantly? Is the spark gone in your relationship?" Garcia prodded with joking questions, pretending to keep the undercover charade going.

"Oh Garcia," Emily said with a slightly amused sigh, feeling rather uncomfortable about the whole situation.

"Babygirl I love kids. You know that. But living with three kids truly 24/7 terrified me. I'll tell you though; Maggie, Carter and Ben are absolutely perfect. And Emily, well, let's just say, I love her even more now than the day I married her," he finished with a wink in Emily's direction, unable to help himself but to play along with the tech's questioning.

"Reid, the kids absolutely love the fairytale book you got for them. It's all they insist on reading before naps or bedtime," Emily said as she tried to steer the conversation to a topic less likely to make her blush.

The topic of conversations finally moved to less sensitive subjects and the friends all caught up with each other. Ben however soon spoiled the fun with a dirty diaper that Emily went to change. But it was the perfect opportunity for Penelope to give Derek the package he had asked her to bring.

"What is it lovebug?" the tech asked him after he had dashed to the car to hide it.

"It's Emily's Christmas present. I didn't realize I would be undercover when I ordered it online and couldn't be there to pick it up. Thanks for bringing it babygirl."

He was about to tell her that it was a copy of Emily's favorite book that had been accidentally given away when JJ and Garcia had helped clean out her apartment. She had never had the heart to tell them but Derek knew. So after months of looking, he had found the same book that was not only in perfect condition, but was a signed first edition. Derek couldn't tell his friends the truth before Emily returned to the table with the baby.

The meal continued as it always did: full of laughter, jokes and fun between the friends. Emily was laughing along with the rest of the group when her phone began buzzing where it rested on the top of the table. It was a number she did not recognize but reached to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Emily? It's Adrienne Grey."

"Hi Adrienne. Is everything okay?" she asked as her eyes captured Derek's now interested face.

"Carter isn't feeling well. He's pretty tired and is complaining of a headache. He has a higher temperature than normal but nothing too high. I'm sure he's fine. If anything, it's probably a small virus or typical cold. But I think he's also really just missing his parents. He was pretty upset. He's with me now and much better but I wanted you to know. It's school policy to inform the parents if their child visits the nurse."

"I understand. Thank you so much. I'm so glad you are there for him. Derek and I will come pick him and Maggie up now so he can nap in his own bed."

"That sounds great. We'll be waiting for you."

"Okay, bye!"

"What's wrong?" Derek asked with sudden worry and a delicate hand on Emily's back, a gesture Garcia didn't miss.

"Everything is fine," Emily assured him before she began explaining further. "That was Adrienne. She said Carter came to her office with a headache and a high temperature. It's probably just a virus or a cold. She also said he's really missing his parents. I told her we would come get them so maybe a nap at home will help."

"Good idea. I'm glad she's there at least. All the kids are so comfortable with she and David. Well let's go get the little munchkins then."

Derek and Emily said their goodbyes to Reid and Garcia who hugged them tightly before they were off to pick up the kids.

Morgan went to get Maggie while Emily went to the nurse's office to pick up Carter.

The little boy was sitting happily on the nurse's lap looking at a book. Emily hugged him and began talking thankfully to Adrienne who took a turn holding Ben after she updated Emily on how Carter was.

"Thank you so much again," Emily smiled.

"Oh of course. I love all the kids here but Maggie, Carter and Ben feel practically like my own. I'm just so glad I was at this location today."

"You work somewhere else as well?"

"Yes. It isn't feasible to hire a school nurse for one preschool full-time. So I split my time between here and two or three other close elementary and middle schools based on when they need me. I used to work at David's practice but this way I can help the school kids who, at the less fortunate schools, don't get some of the attention they need. It's a nice way to give back. I'm just glad the job opened up after such a difficult struggle."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the nurse who held this position before me had some problems. She got pregnant and her baby died during childbirth. After that, naturally it was hard for her to work with children on such a demanding schedule and they had to let her go. This job was just too much for her. It was sad but they kind of had to force her out."

"That is sad," Emily said sympathetically.

"Yes, it was. Last I heard she had transferred to part-time at a fertility clinic or something so her recovery would be a bit easier. Claire told me about the position and how desperate they were for a new hire so David and I both agreed the schools needed me more than his practice. Hopefully when we have kids… well, adopt them that is, I can cut my schedule back again to spend more time with them. That's all I've ever really wanted."

"I really hope that works out. I know these kids adore you. All we hear about it Uncle David and Aunt Adrienne," Emily smiled. "I'm sure you'll be incredible parents."

"Thank you," she responded sincerely. Suddenly, Carter coughed bringing the two adults back to the reason of the visit. "So, if he gets worse or any of the others get the symptoms, David is their pediatrician. He's in the office during the day and will always make time for these little ones if you need to bring them in. Even if it's the middle of the night, just give us a call. Claire and Thomas had to a few times with him or Maggie when they were little and with Ben when they first got him," Adrienne smiled as she danced the baby on her hips.

"Got him?" Emily asked with confusion.

"The process took so long," the woman continued without hearing the question. "We were worried at one point that the paperwork would never go through. But we were all so thrilled when it all finally went through." Emily still looked at Adrienne with complete confusion before the nurse addressed her startled face. "You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Ben is adopted." Adrienne spoke as Emily's eyes widened with shock at the revelation.

"Adopted?" Emily asked in complete bewilderment. How could the team have missed this?

"Is that okay?" the woman asked with worry.

"Of course it is! We just weren't told. But how could we mind if Ben is adopted. Are Maggie and Carter as well?"

"Oh no. They adopted Ben after having Maggie and Carter. But since Claire and Thomas were both orphans, it was important to them."

"I'm sure," Emily responded with understanding.

"I just can't believe they didn't tell you," Adrienne quickly said before explaining. "Well, I suppose it makes sense. You see it was a closed adoption. Ben's birth certificate has Claire and Thomas's names on it. It's a pretty involved process but it keeps any messy legalities out of the way."

"That's very smart."

"Yes. Claire heard about it from a woman she had worked with. I'm not sure who she was but she and her husband along with another couple did the same thing around the same time they did. David and I have been considering it lately too but with Claire and Thomas's…. well, it just hasn't been a priority lately," the woman said as she choked back tears.

"I understand," Emily spoke as her mind was filled with ideas. "Well, I should probably get this little guy home. I need to go find Derek and Maggie."

"Good idea. It's getting chilly out there. They're calling for a pretty big snowfall later tonight. Just let me know if there is anything you need," the woman responded with a friendly smile.

"Actually, there is one thing," Emily said with a sneaky grin.

The family drove together to the in-store pharmacy before returning home. Emily walked inside with Maggie while Derek stayed with a sleeping Ben and an almost sleeping Carter in the car.

Prentiss held the little girl's hand as they roamed the Target store. She quickly found the children's flu medicine but had a few more stops to make before checking out.

"Which one do you like Mags?" the woman asked as she bent down to face the small child. In her hand, she held two very pretty, but very different decorative frames. However, they both had one thing in common. Across the bottom, the letters F-A-M-I-L-Y were spelled out.

"That one!" Maggie instantly exclaimed as she pointed a finger at the larger one. "But what is it for?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"Promise?" Emily asked as she held out her pinky.

"Yes!" the little girl giggled as she wrapped her tiny pinky around Emily's and shook it.

"Good. Come on," Emily winked before standing leading the little girl to another section of the store.

She picked Maggie up and placed her on a stool in front of a kiosk. "Remember when we took this?" Emily asked as she showed the little girl a picture on her cell phone that she had Adrienne send her just a bit ago. Maggie nodded with a smile at the screen.

Adrienne Grey had taken the photo of Derek, Emily and the kids on the previous night. She and her husband had insisted they take a proper family photo to commemorate their first holiday together as a family. Morgan and Prentiss were filled with guilt at the thought but the laughing children quickly put the thought in the back of their minds. The photo showed how perfectly happy they all were. They weren't simply smiling for the camera but Maggie and Carter had made Ben giggle and therefore, they were all laughing in the picture. That memory was something that Emily would cherish forever.

"Do you think Derek will like this for his Christmas present?" she asked the little girl who instantly exclaimed a loud, "Yes!"

Emily had the picture printed and with Maggie's help, placed it in the frame. She would place it with the tickets for his alma mater's playoff game she had ordered for Derek many weeks ago that he had been longing to go to. Prentiss hadn't known much about football before Derek showed her the basics. Luckily, her mother knew the dean and was able to get some of the best box seats available.

The foster mother and daughter checked out and travelled back to the car where Derek was playing peek-a-boo with a giggling Ben. Once they all got home, the agents gave Carter his medicine and all the children went down for a much-needed nap.

Prentiss stayed with Carter long enough for Derek to slip into the home office to wrap her Christmas present and place it under the tree. Emily came down the stairs just in time for him to have everything back to normal and not arouse suspicion.

"Carter is finally asleep," she said as she sat beside him on the couch.

"Good. Hopefully his medicine will help. I remember being sick one Christmas, it was the worst."

"Derek, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" he asked with worry.

"I think I know why our unsub is after these kids… after Ben. I was talking to Adrienne earlier and she told me something. Ben is adopted."

"What? How did we miss that?"

"That's exactly what I wondered. But she explained that it was a closed adoption. The Fosters are legally his parents on his birth certificate. She also said that the Greys weren't the only family to adopt this way."

"We've got to tell the team."

The agents informed the BAU of the developments in the case. The team was as stunned as they had been but realized this was finally the break in the case that they needed. Garcia started running tests and almost instantly discovered the other murdered parents had adopted babies as well.

"So that is what our unsub is after," Hotch deduced.

"But now we have to figure out why," Rossi added.

"And why they keep going after adopted children. Why wasn't the first baby enough?" Derek asked.

"But what are they doing with the babies then?" JJ questioned.

"I shall continue looking my fearless knights of honor and truth," Garcia said with a British accent and a smirk from her lair. "I'll keep you updated. Penelope out," she added before signing off to investigate more.

"Morgan and Prentiss we will keep you informed. We'll begin building a profile. Just let us know if you learn anything else," Hotch stated before the team said their goodbyes.

Emily and Morgan made soup for dinner before the family cuddled on the couch while watching a Christmas movie. Carter snuggled into Derek's side on the couch and quickly fell asleep after his second dose of the medicine.

Eventually all the children were asleep and Morgan and Prentiss got them ready for bed. Derek put Ben to sleep and Emily took the opportunity to quickly wrap his Christmas present and sneak it downstairs to place under the tree. She was in such a rush, she didn't notice Derek's gift for her before she tiptoed back upstairs and slipped into bed. But Morgan was already there.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," she told him. "I just got some water and turned up the heat. That threat of snow makes it chilly in here."

"I know. Well, with any luck the unsub won't think to attack before Garcia can find us some more information."

He was about to start discussing the profile further when Ben's cries interrupted him and he pushed himself up off of the bed. "I've got him. He's just so full of energy tonight. Maybe it's the snow," he winked at Emily before going to calm the baby.

Later that night, Derek crawled back into the bed with a sigh before he started speaking. "Ben's finally asleep again."

"Good," Emily whispered even though her mind was deep in thought. They lay there in silence for a while before she spoke. "What's going to happen to them?" Emily asked as she stared up into the dark from where she lay beside Derek in the bed.

"I wish I knew," Derek said, still unconvinced himself.

"They've been through so much already. We can't let them be separated."

"And we won't."

"You can't be sure of that," Emily countered as she rolled over to face him.

"_We _can. After we catch the unsub we'll make sure Maggie, Carter and Ben get a good home with a family who loves them. _Together._"

"Promise?"

"Promise," he answered with a wink. "Goodnight Princess," he whispered as he turned back over.

"Goodnight Derek," she smiled and closed her eyes.

Only hours after Morgan had gone to pacify a fussy baby Ben, the agents were awakened by his cries once again.

"I'll get him," Derek moaned groggily as he raised his head, looking at the clock to see it was well past two in the morning.

"No, no," Emily said softly beside him as she reached to put a hand on his shoulder. "You got him last time. I've got it. Get some sleep." And with that, she wiped her tired eyes and moved from the bed, making her way to the nursery as Derek fell back into his pillow.

Though he was exhausted, he only drifted in and out of sleep. He would feel better when Emily was back in the bed with him and he knew she and the children were all okay. It shocked him just how well he was not only fitting into the new role of husband and father, even if it was for his job, but how much he was enjoying it.

Derek rolled over in the bed, glancing at the clock on the other nightstand. Emily had now been gone for almost half an hour and he could still hear Ben's cries now and then. He pushed back the covers and tiptoed toward the nursery in the limited light of the night.

He moved to the door of the nursery and stopped, looking on at a sight he knew he never wanted to forget. There she was, rocking softly with the baby curled up, head resting on her shoulder as her own head leaned protectively against him. She hummed soft melodies to the baby, hoping to finally win him over to sleep.

"Em? Em is everything okay?" he whispered sleepily as he walked towards her.

"He won't calm down," she said with a sigh of frustration, but mostly exhaustion as she rocked the baby back and forth in the chair by the crib. "He's asleep now but the moment I try to put him down he starts crying again." She moved to stand and delicately made her way in front of the crib, swaying back and forth so not to disturb the baby.

Derek moved to stand closer beside her and looked down at the small child in her arms. "Keep your fingers crossed," She whispered as she attempted to place little Ben down in his crib for what felt like the thousandth time.

Derek held his breath as he moved over to stand beside her at the child's bed. The baby was laying down now, Emily arranged his blanket tenderly around him before placing her hand on his back, moving it in little circular motions to assure him she was still there.

"It's like he knows," she whispered.

"Knows what?" he asked confusedly.

"Why we're here," Emily answered sadly. It was only then that Derek looked down and in the glimmer of moonlight streaming through the nursery windows did he see the tears welling in her eyes. "Knows that his parents were murdered by the very same person who is now after him."

"Hey," he whispered soothingly. Being careful not to let his movements wake the finally sleeping baby, he reached his arms out and pulled Emily close to him. She didn't hesitate as she fell against his chest and wrapped her arms around him, physical and emotional exhaustion finally catching up with her in front of the one person she could always be open with. He was the one running circles in her own back when he began to speak, "That may be true but you know what else he knows? That we're here. That's _why _we're here. We won't let anything happen to him; to any of them remember? And I promise, I won't let anything happen to you either. Always."

She merely looked up at him with a grateful smile, showing him that as usual, he could make her feel better by simply being there and understanding her like no one else could. With just the simple use of that one word that summed up their entire relationship. She told herself it was just a bond all partners shared but she still couldn't explain the growing feelings within her heart. Though for now she ignored them, just happy that she finally felt the assurance of their relationship she had longed for since she'd been back.

"Em," he whispered suddenly. "Look!" He pulled back just enough so they could look toward the window but she was still in his arms.

"It's finally snowing," Emily said with a smile as she saw the large, white flurries fluttering down through the air against the black background of the night.

"It's beautiful," Derek said, but as Emily turned back to face him, she realized, he wasn't looking out the window anymore, but at her. "Come on," he spoke again as Emily tried to ignore her blushing face. He pulled her gently from the crib's edge and they made their way back to _their _bed… together. And they fell asleep side-by-side peacefully for the last time before the terror they had prepared for would finally threaten them all.

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**Hope you enjoyed it! :)**


	11. Snowy Surprise

Hello my lovely readers! I hope you are all doing marvelously well!

So HERE is the chapter with the prologue… and maybe, something else you've all been asking for. I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it's so long, there is just so much to include!

As always, thank you ALL for your reviews!

Special thanks to the amazingly, incredible AnnKa, jhplug, Nix1978 and criss128 – you are all too marvelous!

Don't forget to leave your comments or ideas below. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Snowy Surprise**

**"As long as we're together, I'm ready for anything."**

**-_Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels_-**

Derek woke up early that frosty morning. His eyes glanced at the winter wonderland of white through the large bedroom windows before looking down to see an even more wonderful sight before him. Emily had unknowingly curled up into his side in the middle of the night. Her head and hand rested on his firm chest and his arm had draped protectively around her back, hand in the arch of her back. He smiled to himself as he realized he'd never enjoyed waking up more.

The barely risen sun was hidden behind the clouds in the early hours of the morning as Derek unconsciously snuggled closer into his partner in an effort to bring her as close to him as he possibly could. Emily stirred then but only woke a few minutes later at the sound of the phone ringing. Derek reached over to the table by the bed and answered the call as Emily sat up in the bed beside him with a groan.

"Hello?" he said.

"Oh baby boy, your morning voice is so sexy," a cheery voice spilled over through the phone as she noticed the sleep still in his voice. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Garcia asked.

"Good morning babygirl," he smiled as he spoke. "No, no it's fine. I'm awake. Ben just wouldn't sleep so it's been a long night for Em and I. It's pretty early, did something happen with the case?" he asked hopefully as he sat up in the bed beside a now open-eyed Emily.

"You better believe it! JJ is here too."

"Hi Morgan."

"Hey JJ," the agent responded.

"Is Emily awake so we can tell you together?"

"Sure, she's right here actually. You're on speaker."

"Hi guys," Emily said with a sleep filled voice.

"Well, well… It has been a long night!" Garcia said suggestively as she and JJ smiled brightly at each other. She was barely able to control her giggle of glee that prompted Emily and Derek to roll their eyes nervously.

"Garcia," Emily said in an attempt to explain. But the tech didn't stop.

"Not that I'm surprised of course," she rambled. "After all you've been through together, now playing house, always being with each other…"

"Ladies," Derek said in an effort to end the more than awkward conversation. "We just sleep in the same room the way it was set up from the beginning okay," he covered with the little white lie Emily approved of. "Get your mind out of the gutter babygirl."

"Okay, okay fine! Just take all my fun away. Anyway, we've been up most of the night."

JJ began to speak now. "I just couldn't help but think there was something we were missing after we found out Ben was adopted. Garcia and I agreed so we decided to keep looking until we hopefully found whatever it was that was missing… and we were right!"

"We found the babies!" Garcia couldn't contain herself.

"What?" the agents exclaimed in unison.

"We're still waiting on DNA confirmation but we are almost positive the children are those of the murdered parents," JJ spoke but couldn't see the dropping faces of Morgan and Prentiss.

"How sad," Emily commented.

"But it's a good…" JJ said in confusion.

"Oh no, you don't understand," Garcia interrupted to clear up the situation. "They're alive. All of them! We're just running DNA tests to be sure since they were adopted already. It should take about a week," Garcia explained quickly.

"That's wonderful!" Derek grinned along with his partner. "But now I'm even more confused. What did the unsub want if not the babies? I have a hard time believing they are murdered that brutally and kidnapping a child just for the fun of it."

"No, we don't think so either," another voice came over the line.

"Hi Rossi," the agents replied to his voice.

He had been there ever since JJ and Garcia had discovered the children and had just returned from going out to get some much-needed coffee to wake him up and, the ladies hoped, to get him out of his grumpy mood.

"Don't you people understand the importance of sleep?" The older profiler joked.

"Oh come on Scrooge, it's Christmas," Garcia joked right back. "We all know you're grumpy if you don't get enough sleep."

"Then why did you call and wake me up?" he asked, but even Derek and Emily knew he had a smile on his face.

"Because you're the only one who could figure out what we couldn't," JJ flattered him.

"Very true," he grinned proudly.

"Could someone please tell us what is going on?" Derek asked impatiently.

"The children we each dropped off at the orphanages exactly one week after the murder of their parents. So this is where the importance of the adoption comes in," Rossi explained.

"Why?" Derek asked, still not fully grasping the importance of the information.

"One week," Emily muttered. "DNA?"

"Exactly!" Rossi said with a proud, fatherly tone. "All of the children were adopted. They were all dropped off one week after being taken – just enough time to test their DNA. We know what the unsub is after now – there own child. Whether it was given up for adoption, taken or died, we can't know. But that is their sole purpose and they won't stop until they find it."

"So what about Ben?" Derek asked worriedly.

"No worries lovebug. I already unsealed the records… rather illegally but we'll just ignore that. Ben's parents died in a car crash. The unsub is not his parent," Garcia added.

"Of course they don't know that yet," Rossi continued. "They want to take the child and test it's DNA, so it's probably someone with medical training. And they want to kill both of you, for the reason that you have, in their mind, their child. If it isn't their child, the unsub is most likely justifying the kill out of rage their child is gone or dead."

"Well that's cheerful," Emily said sarcastically.

"I know it sounds like we're still nowhere closer to finding the unsub but we're getting there," JJ said encouragingly. "Now that the profile is practically complete, we can really focus on suspects. Garcia has been running tests all night."

"Thanks everyone. We'll find the unsub, that's what we do. We're a team, together," Derek spoke as he winked at Emily. "Don't worry about us. It's a snow day with three kids. What could be better?"

"Well we'll keep looking for possible suspects now that we have a clearer profile," Rossi said.

"You two have fun with the kids!" JJ said. "Will is home with Henry now. He couldn't wait to build a snowman."

"Bundle up those little munchkins my loves. And you'd better bundle up too! Or you could always cuddle for warmth. You are technically married you know," she said with a sneaky tone.

"Goodbye Garcia," Derek said before cutting off the line with a shake of his head. He lay back against the pillow and turned his head to Emily, their faces only inches apart. Emily stifled a yawn. "Did you get enough sleep?" he asked her.

"Hardly. I'm just glad Ben finally slept though," she replied. "Thanks for your help last night."

"Always," he said without missing a beat. "So it looks like no school today, just a day in the snow with the kids. A perfect way to start Christmas," he grinned like a little boy. "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve after all!"

"I can't believe it's already here!" Emily said. "We've got to make sure all of the kids' presents are wrapped."

"Are you talking about my presents?" a small voice came from across the room.

"Maggie?" Emily turned to the doorway. The little girl was standing sleepily in her princess pajamas and holding her stuffed animal. "Why yes I was sweetie. About all of your Christmas presents."

"Good! I told mommy and daddy I wanted the house for my dolls. Do you think Santa knows since they're gone now and can't tell him?" she asked worriedly as she walked up to the bed.

Derek picked her up and sat her between them. She lay against Emily who wrapped her arms around her as Derek answered to assure her. "I personally put in a good word with the big man and he knows you want the pink, princess doll house." He looked over at Emily who smiled, knowing that was one of the presents still hidden in the garage.

"You know Santa too?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Of course I do! I made him promise that you would get the best gifts of any little girl this Christmas."

"And me too?" another squeaky voice asked. The agents looked over to find Carter standing in the doorway this time.

"Definitely little man," Derek said as he placed the little boy onto the bed as well. "Look outside you all. It's snowing," he said excitedly. The children gasped as they clamored over to the window.

"Can we play outside?" Carter asked.

"Absolutely!" Derek smiled. "After breakfast." The children snuggled close to Emily and watched cartoons on the television across from the bed as Derek went to get the baby. All of the children and Emily were in the bed when Morgan insisted he go make them all breakfast himself.

"I can help," Prentiss offered.

"Nonsense," he grinned. "You stay here with them. Relax! I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Okay," she conceded. "Derek," she called as he was walking back out the door. He stopped and turned to her with a soft, sweet look she couldn't quite decipher. "Thank you."

"Like I said before, always," he looked on, not quite understanding what he was feeling then as well. But ever since this week began, the way he and Emily had become closer than they ever had before, which he thought nearly impossible after all they'd been through, was creating feelings in his heart he now more than welcomed. And after last night, the thoughts he'd had for his partner, the ones he'd kept hidden deep away for safety's sake, were all at the forefront of his mind as he had woken up beside her and seen her interact with the children so effortlessly.

Derek's mind wandered with those thoughts as he made his signature blueberry pancakes for the family. He called them down shortly after and they all sat around the table together.

"These are my favorite!" Maggie exclaimed.

"So Mags, I'm the master of breakfast in this house right?" Derek asked.

"Yep!" The little girl grinned as she stuffed her mouth full.

"Hey! What about me? I thought you loved my chocolate chip waffles more!" Emily asked with mock disappointment, but the little girl only continued to giggle, creating a fit of laughter sent to Carter and soon even little Ben who though he didn't understand, merely got excited merely because everyone else was.

Breakfast was over soon enough and the children were jumping up in down, begging in anticipation to play outside in the snow. Derek and Emily told them once they cleaned up breakfast, they would put on their warm clothes go outside. The children travelled to the living room to play, but Maggie lingered with a question.

"But are we going to school today?"

"No Maggie. We're going to stay here and play in the snow. There isn't school today," Morgan answered the little girl before excitedly she ran back to play.

"School," Emily whispered.

"What?" Derek turned to ask her.

"School. That's it! I can't believe I didn't think of it before now," she continued breathlessly, deep in thought.

"Em, what are you talking about?"

She looked up at him then, revelation clear in her eyes. "I know who the unsub is!"

"What?" Derek asked completely full of confusion.

"Remember I told you that Adrienne Grey told me yesterday that Ben was adopted. The nurse's position works at many different schools in the area. With access to a lot of families."

"But the Greys have no motive to be the unsubs."

"Oh they aren't," she quickly dismissed the thought. "But you see, Adrienne also told me that when she took this job some months ago, she replaced a woman… a nurse… who worked there before her."

"Okay but what does all of this have to do with our unsub?"

"The woman was let go after she had trouble coping with the loss of her baby!"

"Just like Rossi said, a person with medical training who has somehow lost a baby. Let's tell the team," Derek said earnestly.

They quickly explained the situation to the team as a whole, who all agreed with them. "Hold on just a second and I'll find them," Garcia said. Morgan and Prentiss heard fast typing before the tech's voice came on the line again. "Anne Patterson. She was the school's nurse before she went on maternity leave. Hospital records say her baby was a stillbirth, died of complications so she was put on quite a round of medications to cope. But apparently, she's been seeing therapists since college. Now she works for a fertility clinic part-time."

"She would have access to DNA testing there," Reid deduced.

"Exactly, but get this. Her husband is a security guard. Perfect training for breaking and entering if I do say so myself. And, from the looks of things, was put on probation three months ago after problems doing his work."

"Either he's believed her delusion or, the more likely scenario, is that he's realized playing along is the only way to keep the woman he loves, the woman he married. If her primary focus is getting a child, what she believes to be her baby, then he'll do whatever it takes to keep her," Hotch explained.

"But her baby died," JJ reasoned. "How can she possibly believe her baby is alive with another family?"

"Her mind was already unstable, with the trauma of losing a child, her mind can't handle it anymore. So, she's created a delusion of denial. One in which her baby is alive and rather than being taken through death as reality dictates, someone has taken it, and she'll do whatever it takes to find her baby," Rossi answered.

"Garcia, I'll need an address. Their pattern is to attack at night but since they're plans have been disrupted we can't take any chances. With this weather, it's doubtful they'll attack today but we can't be too sure. Morgan and Prentiss, the team will go to the Patterson's house now. Just go about the normal routine. We'll keep you updated."

"Sounds good," Emily nodded.

"Good luck and thanks everyone," Derek added before hanging up. "Well, it looks like our only care now will be the cold weather and those little munchkins," he pointed to the happy children. "We might get Christmas after all."

"But now we have to figure out what will happen to them," Emily said sadly.

"We will," he reached out to touch her shoulder. "Don't worry Em. We'll make sure they get a good home, all together. Promise. Okay?"

"Okay," she smiled softly at his reassurance.

"Good. Come on now, you better prepare yourself. I'm not just the master of breakfast, I'm an expert snowman builder."

"Oh bring it on buddy," she chuckled.

Emily and Derek had bundled the oldest two children up in their warmest of clothes. It took longer than expected because their squirming forms couldn't wait to play in the snow. The fussy baby Ben was put down for his much needed morning nap, especially after his lack of sleep the night before.

The family ventured happily out into the snow. The first of many activities began with the building of snowmen. Derek helped Carter build one while Emily did the same with Maggie. Soon, they all worked together to create snowmen imitating each of them – even Ben.

The kids were still full of energy and began excitedly making snow angels after Emily showed them how. Maggie and Carter were busy making the angels while Emily stood to brush off the snow now covering her back and arms. Morgan moved over to help her and was breathless when she turned around.

Emily's hat had come off, her cheeks flushed from the cold, eyes glowing from the smile beaming from her mouth, and white flakes rested against her raven black hair. Derek was mesmerized. The feelings that had been creeping in all week and particularly this morning hit him with full force and he couldn't help but stare back at her.

"What?" she asked with a grin as she noticed his stare.

"Nothing," he grinned with an admiring look. "I was just thinking how much I love this."

"Me too," she said sincerely as she looked directly into his eyes, butterflies invading her chest making her heart beat fast and so many unspoken words and feelings were pulsing between them. Derek reached out to give her the hat that had fallen, never breaking her gaze. "Thank you," she muttered breathlessly, thankful also that her cheeks were already red from the snow. Their gazes only broke when they heard their names being called from the laughing children. Derek ran over and swung the children up in his arms, spinning around as Emily looked on with a rapidly beating heart and thoughts rushing through her mind that the FBI would certainly frown upon.

Once the snow angels were complete, Emily went inside to make hot chocolate for them all and check on the baby. The small hill by the swingset in the back yard was perfect for a morning of sledding. Derek had bought small sleds the day before in hopes for a snowfall and took the children to help him retrieve them from the garage.

The hot cocoa warmed them up instantly and they were off to play in the snow once more. They took turns gliding down the hills, laughing all the way. Morgan and Prentiss laughing too as their minds remembered that the team was on their way to get the unsub causing their nerves to calm.

Maggie would ride with Derek or Emily or by herself. Carter would do the same. They would race together or each other, toppling over at the end of the hill. Emily helped the two children sit on one sled together to glide down the hill. "Are you ready?" Emily asked.

"Aren't you and Derek riding too?" Maggie asked.

"There isn't room on this sled," Emily explained.

"No, no - on the other one. Together," the little girl said. Derek and Emily looked at each other.

"We're going to race both of you right?" Carter looked up expectantly.

"Well…" Emily began.

"Please!" the children chorused.

"Come on Em," Derek called. Emily turned around and saw Derek crouched on the other sled, a place just for her in front of him. Prentiss walked over, sitting on the sled between Morgan's legs. "Ready, set, go!" Derek shouted happily to the squealing children and he made sure they got a head start.

Once the kids were on their way down the hill, Derek and Emily pushed off, travelling quickly down the hill. Emily rested against Derek's strong chest and she noticed the warmth she felt when he wrapped his arms around her.

They neared the end of the hill where the children had just come to a halt. Maggie and Carter jumped up and ran to meet them as they flew down the hill. They were giggling and screaming, "We won! We won!"

The kids jumped in front of the slowing sled and suddenly, they toppled over with their pretend parents, creating a laughing pile in the snow. Derek and Emily picked up the children who grabbed the sled and trudged up the hill to get ready for another run.

Derek stood first, dusting the snow off of him as he did, and reached down to offer a hand and a smile to his partner. He picked her up and she stood into him. Her smile he loved so much was staring back in the face. She was unsteady as she stood, arms falling on his chest as she regained her balance. Emily moved her gaze up from the ground and up into his eyes. Morgan's eyes couldn't be pried from her now. He was in awe, seeing her beauty, his friend, his partner, the woman he trusted, and as he would soon admit, the woman he loved.

They stood only centimeters apart now. Their breaths turned to cold, visible air before their faces as Derek had his arms firmly and tenderly on a steadying Emily. Normally, they would have continued on their way but something stopped them as their eyes met and their gazes locked together.

"Thanks," Emily whispered, nerves filing her.

"Always," he whispered with a wink as he leaned in with a nod.

Talk was over but their gazes once again held. Derek looked down to see the woman who had made his heart start beating again when she walked back into his life. Emily saw the man who kept her heart beating in the moment she had nothing left to live for. And suddenly, all thought was gone. Years of feelings, a time apart, time together again, a week of realization… it was all brought together in that one small moment. And what happened next was completely unexpected and… completely… natural.

Emily smiled as her eyes delicately closed on instinct. Derek was leaning in and his lips captured hers. It was slow, soft, sweet and short. His arms wrapped around her thin frame and she leaned closer into him, arms wrapped around his neck. It was as though every care in the world was gone in that moment for them both. They couldn't remember a feeling quite like it. It was a mix of home, of comfort, of excitement, of fear, and something much more…

"You're kissing!" Maggie squealed from the top of the hill.

Emily and Derek pulled away with a gasp and an embarrassed chuckle. The moment had ended much too soon for both of them. But Emily was already coming up with excuses in her head of why everything about what just happened was wrong, even though for the first time since she had come home, she actually felt home. She rushed up the hill to the children, doubt filling her but missing the warmth kissing Derek had filled her with.

Derek however was already convinced this was the greatest Christmas ever. And his mind was hard at work to figure out just how he would convince Emily they could only move forward from here. He had already lost her once and had no intention of losing her again. He knew what he wanted; he'd known it since he lost her… perhaps since before that.

The children continued sledding, Derek and Emily were kept busy watching them so no awkwardness ensued. But they both knew they had crossed a line and they would have to talk about it eventually.

Carter came to Emily with a pink nose and the foster parents decided they had all spent enough time in the snow. The family went inside. Ben was awake now so the parents and all the children went up to the master bedroom. Just as they entered, Derek reached for the ringing phone on the table.

"Hey babygirl," Derek answered the phone with a smile. Emily looked over at him while struggling to get Carter and Maggie out of their wet, snowy clothes. But all they really wanted to do was dance and jump about gleefully to the Christmas music playing in the background. She assumed the tech was just checking in on the undercover operation as usual, but she shivered as she suddenly saw his smile drop and his eyes grow wide. "Someone's here," Derek whispered in her direction. She could read him better than anyone. Prentiss finally realized this was it; this is what they had been sent here to do. Her adrenaline immediately began pumping but she tried to remain calm.

"Okay Garcia calm down. Is the team on their way?" But before his question could be answered, the line went dead. The tech's voice was only replaced by a flat beeping. "Garcia? Garcia?" he asked again before throwing the phone to the ground.

"They cut the lines." Derek began again as he turned to face his partner, both remembering their cell phones were downstairs and they had no other contact to the outside world before the UnSubs found them. His calm manner was quickly erased as he frantically grabbed for the two older children while Emily reached for the baby. As they started to stand, the lights above flickered and the music skipped. It happened once more until the house became deathly quiet and frightfully dark as the sun was hidden behind the snow clouds outside the windows, allowing only a glimmer of light. Emily's eyes immediately found his in the midst of the rambunctious children, all still unaware of the changing atmosphere.

The makeshift family hastily made their way across the master bedroom to the large walk-in closet that enclosed the hidden panic room. They could only hope they weren't too late.

"Sir, I have lost all contact with Morgan and Prentiss," Garcia exclaimed frantically from her lair into her microphone.

"We're on our way," Hotch said in a tone much less monotone than usual, his worry over his two agents betraying him. "Keep me posted."

"Yes sir," she responded, the tears now streaming down her face. "Just get them out of there."

"We will Garcia," he replied with a firm kindness. "I won't let this team be broken apart again," Hotch added to assure the technical analyst but also himself as he drove along with the rest of the team across the city.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Derek rushed his partner and the children into the doors within the closet and into the safe room. "Emily, no matter what happens, you stay here and keep the children safe," Derek commented as he bent down to place the kids on the floor and moved to look into her wide eyes.

"No Derek, I am your partner, we are in this together. I am coming with you!" she fought back instantly.

"These kids have lost enough already," he whispered quickly. "We have to keep them safe."

"But Derek I can help," Emily protested, her independence kicking into full gear.

"Emily I have already lost you once, I will not let it happen again!" Derek said with a fear in his eyes that his partner instantly recognized as the same look he had on his face a night long ago in a dark warehouse where their lives had changed forever. "Stay here until the rest of the team arrives. Do not come out until you see one of them or I come get you," he added hastily as the lights flickered once more and finally went off all together.

"Be careful," she whispered as she reached for his arm; her face only inches away from his own.

"Always," he answered without hesitation.

Emily stepped closer to him, the sudden urge for him to hold her the way he had before overwhelmed her when she thought she might never see him again if the team didn't show up in time.

Every part of Derek's heart and body longed to stay with Emily. He couldn't bear to let her out of his sight the way he had all those months before. But more than anything, he knew he had to protect her. So his brain took over his senses and he placed a hand on her cheek. "I'll be back," he muttered with a determined sigh. And with that, he was gone. She watched as he made his way out the door, giving her and the children he had grown to care so much about one last look.

Emily sat in the dark safe room. The door was closed. The baby squirmed and squealed in her arms as she held him tightly, but she refused to let him go. She whispered comforting sounds to quiet the little boy while she reached for Maggie's small and quivering hand that was still cold from the snow. "Is Derek going to be okay?" she asked in a timid voice.

"Of course he is sweetie. We're all going to be okay soon," Emily whispered reassuringly even though her heart was doing flips in her chest. She snuggled closer to the little girl to comfort her, all the while attempting to calm her fluttering heartbeat as she prayed for the team to have received their last message and arrive soon.

But her heart dropped when she heard the crashing of glass followed by gunshot and a loud thud from the floor below. Derek's words were instantly forgotten the moment her worry for him rushed into her. She had had enough. She placed the baby in the carrier on the floor in the room and quickly instructed Maggie to watch her younger brother. "Don't open the door for anyone but me or Derek," she told the frightened young girl.

Emily rushed out both doors and quickly closed them behind her. She reached to unlock the safe her gun was hidden within and made her way to the large stairwell, gun trained before her. She finally descended the stairs, eyes and ears taking in every single sound as her adrenaline pumped wildly. She couldn't stop her mind from wandering to the fact that this was certainly the most interesting Christmas she had ever had.

The foyer was empty and she trained her attention on the family room to the right. She had only lived there a week but she couldn't help the sadness that overcame her as she saw the evidence of how the struggle had ruined the Christmas tree they had all put up together. Emily looked around and followed the signs of the struggle with her eyes. She suddenly rushed over to the corner of the room where she saw the French doors had come off of their hinges and were both lying amongst shattered glass and broken decorations on the hardwood floors. However, it was the two bodies that were lying lifelessly on top of them and the blood spattered all around them that made her breath catch in her throat.

"Morgan!" Emily breathed out. But before she could make her way over to the still forms, a searing pain hit her back and she was flung to the ground. Her head hit the cold wooden boards with a thud and the last thing she saw was her partner's lifeless form on the floor of the room only feet from her as she thought of the helpless children she had left upstairs alone.

The world was black for only a few seconds, but that span of time felt like an eternity as shaped began reforming and color reappeared in her eyes. The past events registered in her head as she heard footsteps on the stairs behind her. Within a millisecond she had flipped herself over and popped up, ignoring the dizziness that instantly hit her. She bounded up the stairs after the figure in black. Her number one priority was to protect the children, her children, at all costs.

The woman in black heard the pursuer and spun around with a lunge at the agent. But Emily was too quick for the shocked and now disoriented attacker. Emily grabbed the hand flung in the direction of her face and a struggle ensued.

The unsub fell forward with all of her weight, slamming Prentiss's back and head hard against the wall, pinning her there. But Emily fought back as hard as she could – the images of Derek and then the children flashed in her head and gave her strength. They twisted and turned until finally Emily had an advantage over the woman.

They were against the railing now and a fall waited in two directions: over the ledge or down the steps. Emily nearly lost her balance when the woman lunged her hardest at her throat, but Prentiss was still too quick. In steadying herself, the unsub was thrown off balance by Emily, and she toppled over the railing, hitting the table as it broke in half and then hardwood floors with a thud. Emily gasped for air as she looked over the balcony and saw a pool of blood growing near the unsub's head.

Her heart was pounding, beating nearly as fast as her mind was racing. She was thinking of Derek, thinking of the children. Finally, she reasoned the kids were safe. It was the fate of her partner she was still unsure of. She raced down the stairs and found his still but breathing form under the lifeless body of the woman's husband.

Emily frantically pushed the man off of Derek as she knelt down by her partner and began whispering his name, hoping to wake him up and realize his injuries weren't as serious as they seemed. One hand rested on his shoulder as the other touched his face while she spoke. "Oh no… Derek? Derek?" she kept asking, heart throbbing in her ears. But no answer came as it always had and her head bent down to rest on his own as she was beginning to think it never would.


	12. Hospital

Hello my dear readers!

So here is a chapter I _really_ hope you enjoy!

Sorry it's so long, my computer was sent off for repairs and I just got it back.

As always, thank you ALL for your reviews!

Special thanks to the wonderful AnnKa, jhplug, Nix1978 and criss128!

Don't forget to leave your comments, questions or ideas below. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Hospital**

**"_There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life."_**

**- John Lennon - **

Emily's heart pounded hard in her chest as her hands shakily roamed over her partner's quiet body, looking frantically for evidence of the gunshot that had caused her to ignore his instructions and come to his aid down the stairs. He was on his side so she gently turned him over, praying her movements wouldn't increase his injuries.

"Morgan? Morgan? Come on Derek, please," she continued to beg; her voice turning from whispers into frantic, helpless gasps.

It was then that she saw the blood stain on his shoulder, red and pulsing. "Oh my gosh..." she breathed. Her hands were instantly on his shoulder, he groaned as she pressed down to stop the bleeding. "Emily?" he asked as he opened his eyes, pain evident on his face.

"Derek!" she exclaimed in relief that he was somewhat conscious now. However the pain on his face quickly reminded her of the discomfort she must have been inflicting on him with the pressure of her hand. "I'm so sorry," she whined, her voice ringing out three octaves higher than usual. "Derek you're going to be okay. I've got to stop the bleeding."

He nodded, grimacing through the pain. "Thanks Em," he smiled.

And without missing a beat, that word, _their _word, came tumbling out of her mouth between her adrenaline filled breaths, "Always."

Derek ventured a small smile before his face turned serious again. "The kids?" he asked with concern.

"They're fine. I've got them in the safe room. The unsubs are dead."

"Good," he said with relief, his energy was waning and he struggled to stay awake from his fall on the hard floor and loss of blood he was experiencing.

"Derek," Emily said in a warning tone. "You've got to stay awake just a bit longer. You're going to be fine. I just need you to hold on for me okay?"

Emily was about to jump up to find her cell phone to call 911 but was stopped by the opening of the front door. Hotch flew in, gun-trained, followed by Rossi. Emily spun around when she felt a rush of cold air as JJ and Reid came in through the back door.

Reid checked the male unsub's pulse while Hotch checked the female's. He nodded to Reid before stating with a sigh, "They're dead."

"Em?" JJ exclaimed and ran over to where Prentiss was crouched protectively over Morgan.

"He's been shot," Emily said, the usually calm and collected agent was obviously full of worry, voice shaking as she looked up helplessly at the other female agent.

"He'll be fine," JJ soothed, bending next to her with a hand on her back. "The medics are right outside.

Rossi joined JJ by Emily's side. "The house is clear. Send in the medics. We've got an agent down," Rossi spoke into the mic that lead to those outside. Derek had nearly lost consciousness now and Emily knew the medics had to get to him soon. Rossi immediately sensed her worry.

"He's breathing steadily. It looks like the bullet went straight through his shoulder. He's lost some blood but he'll be okay," Rossi said to the agents but mostly speaking to reassure Emily. He reached out and squeezed her hand in a gentle, father-like gesture.

Emily nodded before her thoughts went back to why they were all there in the first place. "I've got to get the kids," she said, hesitant to leave her partner.

"I'll get them," JJ offered. "Reid can help. They'll be fine. We'll let them know we're the good guys. Someone needs to stay with Morgan on his way to the hospital. We'll bring the kids there. I'm sure they'll want to see Derek when he wakes up."

Prentiss was still torn, but she knew JJ would take good care of the children that for the past week she had considered her own. "Okay, they're in the safe room. I need to see them before we go though. If there's time."

JJ and Reid made their way upstairs while Emily watched the newly arrived paramedics place Morgan on the stretcher. They had loaded him into the ambulance when Emily heard a voice from behind her as she stood outside.

"Emily!" Prentiss saw Maggie calling her name as the little girl ran through the snow. Emily picked her up instantly and hugged her close. JJ followed close behind with Carter in her arms while Reid made silly faces at the baby in his arms.

"Hi sweetie," Emily spoke into the little girl's hair as she hugged her close.

"I was scared when you left," Maggie sniffed.

"Oh honey I'm so sorry," she responded, guilt filling her.

"Where's Derek?" Carter asked, earning Emily a sad look from JJ.

"He's on his way to the doctor right now buddy. But you'll get to see him soon. I promise," Emily said, voice cracking as the tears in her eyes threatened to spill over. "I need you to stay with JJ and Spencer right now. They're my very good friends and they're going to take good care of you. Okay?"

Maggie nodded but her face was filled with questions. "When will you come home?" All of the agents looked sadly at one another, knowing that now the unsubs were caught, the fate of these children was in the hand of the Department of Social Services.

"Everything will be all right soon. I promise," Emily spoke before giving the children one last hug and quickly climbing into the ambulance to sit by a still unconscious Derek.

Although the hospital was only a few miles away, for Emily, the ride lasted for what felt like an eternity. She watched with an aching heart as the medics gave Derek oxygen, checked his pulse and tried to stop the bleeding.

The paramedics saw the blood on Emily's head and her bruises already forming but she refused to let them treat her. Her only focus in that moment was Morgan. Her eyes never left him but her mind took her back to another ride in an ambulance, but that time, their roles were switched.

_Emily's eyes flickered open and closed. The bright light in the ambulance was blinding her as she tried to stay awake. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and follow the calm rocking of the vehicle rather than deal with the pain all over her body, and in her stomach._

_But something kept her holding on. His voice whispered frantic pleas in her ear as his hand grasped hers with fervency that she might slip away if he let go. "Emily, you've got to stay with me," he begged._

"_Derek," she tried to speak, but her voice was soft and broken. "I'm sorry. I…," she breathed._

"_Don't, don't. It's okay Em," he immediately soothed as one hand reached up to her face. "You can tell me and the team when you're better."_

"_I…" she began again. She wanted to tell him. She had to let him know if these were truly her last moments on earth and she couldn't keep her promise to hold on. She had to tell him how much she cared for him, how happy she was that it was him who found her because he was always there for her. He was the one who realized something was wrong from the start. He was the one she hated keeping the secret from the most. She wanted him to know that when she met him, when they worked together, protected each other, spent time together, just the two of them: for the first time in her life, she felt happier than she'd ever been. She hated herself in that moment for so many reasons, but she hated nothing more than the fact she had never told him the truth of how she felt._

_But her heart was beating too fast. Her vision was blurring and the world was becoming gray before her. She felt like she was drowning; barely able to keep her head above water and struggling for breath. "She's coding!" she heard someone yell._

"_Emily! Emily! Come on baby! Hold on, Em! We need you to stay with us, with your family," he was whispering now. She could feel his hot breath on her ear and sense his shaking fear. "I need you to stay with _me_," he finally said, between broken, heart wrenching sobs. _

_Those words were the last she heard before the darkness consumed her. At that moment, she was more scared than she had ever been in her life. Emily knew what she had to do. No matter how hard she was being pulled away, she fought back. She clawed, kicked and screamed her way towards the light. Towards her family, towards the voice of the man she had finally come to realize that she loved._

_The light hit her eyes as she gasped for air, heart pounding nearly out of her chest as she entered the world once again. And before her eyes closed from the medicine the paramedics gave her, she saw his tear-stained face that now held a smile stretching from ear to ear. She felt his lips gently graze her cheek as he spoke three words that made all the pain disappear within her. _

_In what was her next breath, she was in a hospital bed, crying uncontrollably as she stared at JJ who had told her the sad situation. Emily just wanted to see her team, her family. To tell them she had held on, for them, and for one person in particular. But she wouldn't ever be able to._

Emily stared down at her partner as her eyes welled with tears, unable to control her nerves as she thought of those moments that seemed like only yesterday. She had never talked to Derek about the ambulance ride. He knew she remembered coding in the ambulance, he knew she remembered when he found her but the night passed in such a blur for both of them, for everyone. The thoughts that went through her mind and the words he spoke never came up.

He would comfort her at night, hold her and keep the nightmares away. Derek protected her in the field more adamantly than ever before. They were partners again. More importantly, they were best friends. So she was scared. She was scared that if she brought it up, his answer might not be what she wanted so desperately to hear. What if it was in the heat of the moment? It was an emotional night for all of them. And Emily was so used to disappointment. So she did what she did best, held it in her heart. Her feelings and her memories were tightly guarded. Where they could never be touched and, more importantly, never get hurt.

But they escaped when they crossed another line this morning with the kiss and she knew that she had to tell him the truth. She had to tell him why she held on. She had to tell him why she fought so hard to come back.

Garcia found Emily only minutes after Morgan was taken back to see the doctors. The tech, complete in her green and blue neon outfit, ran quickly over the brunette who was nervously pacing at the waiting room door. Garcia wrapped her arms around Emily and squeezed her tight. "He's going to be all right," she said in her typical bright tone. She was worried but the nurse who had led her to Emily had updated the tech on Derek's condition. "You know nothing can keep our Chocolate Thunder down."

Emily nodded with thanks, nerves calming ever so slightly. Garcia gave her one more squeeze which elicited a groan of pain from the agent. Garcia looked at Emily's face and finally saw the blood dried on her forehead. "Emily!" Penelope exclaimed. "Have the doctors taken a look at you?"

"I'm fine," Prentiss protested, attempting to stop the lecture she knew was coming.

"Oh no you're not missy!" Garcia countered instantly. She led Emily by the arm to the nurse's station. "Excuse me but Agent Prentiss needs to be checked by a doctor immediately. She's been through quite an ordeal."

"Come with me ma'am," a young nurse said.

"_Garcia_," Emily began.

"I'll let you know as soon as we hear anything. You have rather a habit of getting hurt if I remember correctly. This team has already lost you once and I'm not taking any more chances."

Emily could only smile appreciatively as she saw the flash of sad memories on the tech's face. "Thanks, Penelope," she said before walking into the examination room with the nurse.

She was examined thoroughly, cleaned up and bandaged carefully, particularly since she was still on medicine after her fight with Doyle. "Well Ms. Prentiss, it looks like you're going to be okay," the doctor explained. "I've prescribed some pain medication for you and upped the dosage on the prescription you have for the internal bleeding from your previous injury."

"Thank you," Emily said, barely focused as she only thought about if Derek was doing as well as she was.

"I would like to see you again in a week or so. You took a pretty nasty blow to the injury on your abdomen, I want to make sure it hasn't been further damaged after that. Only time will tell but I'm optimistic there is only internal bruising. You'll just need to be careful in the next few weeks."

"I will. Thanks again Doctor," Emily responded.

"Is there anything else you need before you go?"

"Actually, do you know anything about my partner Derek Morgan?" she asked nervously.

"Let me see what I can find out," the elderly doctor said with a wink.

Only a few minutes later, the doctor came into the room and led Emily to a room in the recovery wing. "Agent Morgan is in here. They've given him blood and stitched the wounds where the bullet entered and exited. My colleague, Dr. Kline, is just watching for the possibility of a concussion after his fall. If we don't see anything, he'll be able to go home in a couple of hours," he explained thoughtfully before opening the door for Emily.

"Thank you," she whispered before stepping into the quiet hospital room. A nurse was making her way to the door just as Emily entered.

"Emily Prentiss?" the woman asked.

"Yes?" Emily answered.

"He's been asking about you," the nurse said with a knowing smile. "Go ahead. He'll be just fine."

Emily walked slowly to the bed, taking in the sight of Derek – the man who'd protected her ever since they met, and who had risked everything to protect her again today.

"Emily," he said as his pained face began to glow with joy instantly.

"Hi," she spoke softly, her tone evident of the relief she immediately felt when she finally saw that he was all right. She moved as close as she could to the bed and saw the bandages on his shoulder, the cuts on his body from his fall through the glass, and the bruises from the struggle. She tried with everything in her power to hold back the tears that would surely well in her eyes if she let them. Emily hated seeing Derek like this. She told herself that she should have gone down with him to begin with, and perhaps he wouldn't have gotten injured so badly.

Morgan patted the side of the bed with his hand for her to sit. "Come here." She sat delicately on the bed, facing him with a soft smile. He reached his hand up to her face, noticing the bandage on her forehead and the dark bruise just beneath her eye. His thumb brushed her cheek as he spoke again, "How are you?"

"I'm all right. They just gave me some stitches and pain pills. They had to check to make sure my scar didn't get worse with the fight." His gaze immediately became concerned. She put her hand up before he could ask. "It didn't. Just a little sore, that's all. But I'm the one who should be asking how _you _are?" she commented.

"I'm fine. They patched me up and gave me some pain meds," he pointed to his shoulder. "But I'm even better now that you're here."

Emily's felt the color creeping to her cheeks as she smiled in agreement. The tension of their kiss only hours before lingered in the air. They knew they would have to talk about it sooner or later. "Derek," Emily whispered. But before she could continue, they heard the hospital door open. Prentiss practically jumped off of the bed when she saw the team filing through the door, but not before JJ could notice and give her a knowing smirk to which Emily only rolled her eyes.

The team all crowded around Derek's bed while JJ pulled Emily to the side. "You better be lucky Garcia didn't see that," she whispered. "She'd never let you hear the end of it. She would have your wedding planned in a week. Especially the way Derek can't stop looking at you. Then again, he's always struggled with that."

"It's not what you think," Emily quickly protested.

"Maybe not but I will tell you that I've seen that look on another man's face plenty of times… on Will's face. Even before I recognized it. I guess I just needed a little push in the right direction," she winked before joining the team.

"I can't believe he shot you," Garcia spoke.

"Well about that… He didn't exactly shoot me."

"Wait. The nurse did?" Reid asked.

"No. Actually, I did."

"What!?" They all exclaimed in unison.

"I came down the stairs and he lunged at me from behind. We struggled and eventually, he got me into a chokehold. He was trying to get the gun pointed toward me so I did it for him. From where he was standing directly behind me, I knew if I placed the bullet correctly, it would go straight through my shoulder and into his heart. It was that or he might choke me first."

"That was very good thinking," Rossi spoke with pride.

"You are incredibly lucky," Hotch said.

Emily only stared in disbelief at Derek. She couldn't decide whether she should be relieved or scared at how close she'd come to losing her partner. Not to mention the fact that it was _Derek _who had pulled the trigger in the first place.

"We're just glad you're okay," JJ offered, pulling Emily out of her thoughts.

"What about the kids?" Derek finally asked what was lingering on all of their minds.

"The Department of Social Services will take charge whenever we say the case is closed," Hotch said sadly.

"Those poor babies. No parents, no home, and all at Christmas," Garcia whined.

"Couldn't we wait one more night?" Derek asked. "It's Christmas Eve tomorrow. Don't you think they've been through enough already today? I'll be released in an hour or so. Emily, you don't mind right?"

"I was going to ask if you didn't," she instantly replied.

"I suppose that is fine. They do deserve Christmas," their team leader spoke.

"Well, Reid, me and the kids all fixed the Christmas tree and cleaned up before we came. Maggie _insisted_ the tree be put back exactly the way it was, star and all," JJ said with a grin.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Derek chuckled.

"Where are the kids now?" Emily asked.

"They're out in the waiting room with your new friends, the Greys. The kids really seem to love them."

"Yeah, they were their parents best friends. They've known the kids their entire lives."

"Well, I think they're pretty confused as to what is going on."

"I'm sure they are," Emily responded. "We should explain," she said with a look in Derek's direction.

"We'll send them in so you can explain. I'm sure the children will want to see you both as well. Meanwhile, we'll get the paperwork taken care of. Garcia and JJ, you can stay," Hotch said before they could ask.

The team said their goodbyes while JJ and Garcia went to get the Greys. Derek turned to Emily once they were alone again. She had found a seat beside his bed and her face looked sad and confused. "Em," he whispered. "What is it?"

"They can't go to Social Services," she spat out. Though she was thinking of so many things at once she wanted to talk to him about: Derek almost dying by shooting himself, her memories from _that night_, relief that the case was over, a twinge of sadness that it would never be the same as it had been in the past week and finally, and the kiss they had shared in the snow. But the children were first on her mind at the moment. She couldn't bear to see them sent to a place with no one to love them and where they would most likely be separated.

Derek saw the fear in Emily's eyes. Declan's face flashed through his mind. He knew how attached she became to children on cases. That was one of the things he loved about her. She was tough but full of so much compassion that was rare so many agents he knew.

He reached out to take hold of her hand. She looked up at him now, eyes pleading for an answer. "I know," he began. "And I've got a plan."

"So do I," she revealed.

He chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? Alright Princess, you first." She began to speak, finally a smile coming to her face with the excitement of her plan. And all Derek could do was smile and nod at the fact that everything she was telling him was exactly what he had in mind too.

* * *

**So… what is going to happen? Where will the kids go? Will Derek and Emily finally admit their true feelings? Is the case really over? **

**I'll let you know soon! ;)**

**Let me know what you think!**


	13. Christmas After All

_Hello readers – if you're still reading that is ;)_

_So here is a new chapter I really, really hope you enjoy!_

_I'm so sorry it took so terribly long! I got a new job, have been on vacation, and started Grad School. All in all – writing has unfortunately been lacking as of late._

_But as always, thank you ALL for your reviews and support._

_Special thanks to the wonderful AnnKa who keeps me sane and keeps my love for Demily alive._

_Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!_

**Christmas After All**

"_**My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"**__**  
**__**-**__**Bob Hope**__** - **_

"Hello you two," Adrienne said with a smile as she and her husband entered the room.

"Are you both alright?" David Grey asked with concern.

"We're fine, just a little bruised," Derek assured. David and Adrienne however, did not look convinced.

"Well, I know your doctor very well. You're in good hands. Just make sure you keep that gunshot wound clean," he said with a look toward Emily.

"We will," Emily answered before her partner could.

"Good. Derek, make sure you listen to Emily," Adrienne smiled with a pointed look in his direction before becoming serious. "If those are even your real names."

"Ummm…. about that," Derek began timidly. "I'm sure our team has already informed you that we _aren't _actually the Phillips."

"Yes, they told us you were undercover agents but knew you wanted to explain the situation to us yourselves. And of course they didn't want to bring it up in front of the children," David began.

"I understand. You both deserve to know the truth. I'm Agent Emily Prentiss. And this is Agent Derek Morgan. The police told you that your best friends' death, the Fosters' death, was still under investigation. Well you see… _we _were the investigation."

"We work with a special unit within the FBI that deals with catching people like those who murdered Claire and Stephen. We knew that since children were involved, we had to protect Maggie, Carter and Ben," Derek explained.

"And the best way to do that," Emily cut in. "Was to go undercover."

Derek and Emily took turns explaining, delicately, how they protected the children from the unsubs and what they were after.

"So they're no longer in danger?" Adrienne asked worriedly.

"No, the children are perfectly safe now. The people who did this are gone for good," Emily explained with a reassuring smile.

"And I've got the proof," Derek smirked as he nodded towards his injury.

"Thank you so much," David said as he put his arm around his wife. "We can't thank you enough for keeping them safe. The Fosters were the closest things to family we've ever had. Losing Claire and Stephen was the worst. I can't imagine what we would do if we had lost Maggie, Carter and Ben as well."

"But what now?" Adrienne asked, worry returning. "What will happen to them?"

"Protocol dictates that they will be placed in the foster system unless or until someone is willing to adopt them. And, well," Derek said with a smile and a look towards Emily.

"That is what we wanted to talk to you about," Emily completed his thought.

"Yes!" Adrienne exclaimed prematurely, causing the rest of them to laugh.

"We had hoped that would be your reaction," Emily laughed. "The children love you both and we know you feel the same. And you did tell us you wanted to adopt. But three children at once, we know it's something you'll want to talk over."

"Not at all," David jumped in. "The moment we heard about Claire and Stephen, we agreed it would be what they wanted… what _we _wanted."

"I'm sure Claire and Stephen would be happy to know their children will be with people who love them and who loved their parents."

"So when can we start the paperwork? I imagine it will take some time but I just can't bear to think of them in Social Services over Christmas."

"Usually, it would take a week or so. But luckily, we can pull some strings. What do you say to a Christmas Eve present of three children?"

"I think this will be the greatest Christmas ever," Adrienne and David smiled, eyes both full of joyful tears.

The details were arranged that Derek and Emily would drop the children off the next day on Christmas Eve since the children had already been through so much that day. David went with Garcia whom they had called in to begin the paperwork. Emily walked out with Adrienne to go see the children.

"I imagine you'll both be happy to have this case wrapped up before Christmas," Adrienne commented.

"Well, we're certainly happy we caught the people who did this. But I'll admit, we'll miss those kids."

"I'm sure they'll miss you too. You should come visit them whenever you want."

"We'd love that."

"And who knows, maybe you two will have your own someday. Playdates will be a must," Adrienne replied.

"I'm sorry, what?" Emily asked with confusion.

"You and Derek," Adrienne looked at her.

"Oh," she breathed with understanding. "Oh we're not married."

"But you are a couple right? So maybe in the future…" Adrienne suggested before she was cut off.

"No, no, we're just partners. We're not _actually_ together," Emily explained quickly; but the memories of their kiss in the snow and waking up beside him every morning contradicted the words coming out of her mouth.

"Oh I'm sorry. You just seem so incredibly close. You two just seemed so… perfect. You really are a convincing couple."

"Well, thank you," Emily said, face flushing. "Working together for so long, we've grown very close. He's my best friend."

"Funny," Adrienne said with a grin.

"What is?"

"That's exactly what I used to say about David before we started dating," the woman smiled knowingly before walking over towards the children, leaving Emily deep in thought.

Derek was released from the hospital only a short time later. The rest of the team began quickly wrapping up the case so they could all get home to their loved ones for Christmas. The makeshift family made their way to the house for a final night together. The children were exhausted from the eventful day and lack of a nap. Derek and Emily ordered pizza and snuggled up with the sleepy children on their laps, eating and watching a Christmas movie together all while enjoying the precious last hours they had with their pretend children.

Each child was asleep long before the credits began to roll. So Derek and Emily, mostly Emily because of Derek's injury, carried the sleeping bundles to their beds. They may never admit it but their eyes both became misty as they kissed each child goodnight and said their goodbyes.

Emily descended the stairs after rocking the baby much longer than she needed but certainly not nearly long enough for her. She found Derek on the living room floor in front of the Christmas tree with presents, paper and ribbons all around him. "What are you doing?" she asked in a laughing whisper, trying not to wake the kids.

"There is no way I'm missing those kids open all the presents we got them. I think Santa is just going to have to come early this year," he grinned childishly.

Methodical and by the book Emily Prentiss would in almost all circumstances have disagreed with him, but she was just as filled with anticipation to see the Christmas morning excitement that she immediately plopped down on the floor next to her partner and began wrapping.

They worked long and hard to decorate and arrange the presents just perfectly for when the children came downstairs the next morning. It was decided that half of the presents would be saved for the Greys to give the children on Christmas morning. Only little did they know that at this very moment, the Greys were wrapping the enormous amount of presents they had just bought for their new children after preparing each of their rooms.

All of the presents were arranged before Derek caught Emily slipping a gift under the tree that she didn't recognize. "Hey, hey Princess, what do you think you're doing?"

"You're like a little boy. Just wait until tomorrow," she smiled.

"I told you I don't need anything. I've got you back. Our team is a family again. I got the best present I could have ever asked for."

Emily could only smile at his comment. The same was true for her as well. There was nothing she wanted more when she was gone than to be back with her family. But before her blushing could betray her, she decided to change the topic. "We really should change your bandages."

"I would argue but I know that would be useless."

"Very wise," Emily winked. "Alright mister, shirt off," she commanded.

"Yes ma'am," he smiled as he reached to grasp the fabric of his shirt. "Are you sure you want to stop there?" he asked suggestively.

"You're impossible," Emily laughed, all while eyeing her partner's bruised but still perfectly toned muscles. She made her way over to him with the new bandages and began to gently pull off the bandages from his shoulder.

But as each bandage delicately came off, and the injury became revealed before her eyes, the pain in Emily's heart became even greater.

"Em… What is it?" Morgan asked as he saw her face and reached for the hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing," she responded quickly, pulling back her hand to brush away the tear that had just fallen as she tried to walk away from him. But he wasn't letting her get away that easily. He knew her too well to believe her vain attempt to cover her rarely exposed emotions. Derek reached for her hands and gently pulled her in the direction facing him.

"Hey," he whispered as he saw the tears in her diverting eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I just…" she started weakly as she fought the tears that threatened to flow.

"Hey," he whispered again as he pulled her closer to him with worry.

"I'm just glad you're okay. I really thought when I found you that you were gone. I'm so sorry Derek. I'm sorry because I know what it was like… that night. And if I could go back in time, I would change it. I would. No one should have to go through that. I'm sorry I put you through that."

"Em, why are you blaming yourself? It's okay. You know I don't blame you for that. I couldn't," he said as his hand rubbed her shoulder. "All that matters is that you're here. And look," he gestured to himself. "So am I. It takes more than some crazy unsub to bring me down. I'm here. I'll _always _be here."

"But you could have died. Why did you have to shoot yourself?"

"Because that was the only way to protect the one thing on my mind in that moment," he said with pointed eyes. "_You_. My priority is to keep you safe. You're my partner. You're my best friend. I can't let anything happen to you ever again. So if that means I have to get hurt instead of you, then there's no hesitation in my mind, there never will be. It doesn't matter what happens to me as long as you're safe."

"It matters to me," she whispered breathlessly as her wide, helpless eyes stared up at him. "You aren't the only one who lost someone that night. I can't go through that again Derek. Especially not now… not after this week," she whispered, venturing into the dangerous level their relationship had moved to.

"I know... Look, about this morning…" Derek began. His mind lingered on the kiss they had shared, and although there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to continue it, he knew how well Emily closed herself off. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. And he was afraid of rejection from the one person he had begun to realize he couldn't live without.

She, however, felt exactly the way he did. But her own fear of rejection and constant doubting of herself read Derek's words wrongly just as he had. "It's okay. I'm sure everything will go back to normal after we get the kids settled with the Greys and get back to the way we used to be."

"But what if I don't want it to?" he asked immediately, the words pouring from his heart and out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"What?" Emily asked, voice cracking as she realized, with both hope and fear, what he meant.

"You know I love you being back. But Em, after what happened… after Doyle," Emily shivered at the mention. "I just don't know if we can go back to being normal. I can't."

"What are you saying?" Emily asked, startled at his words.

"Emily, I lost you. I had to live without you for seven months. All I wanted was a second chance but I thought that was impossible. But the impossible happened. You're here.

What if what happened this morning wasn't a mistake? I should have told you months ago… years even, Em. This week… Being with you again… That kiss… It just showed me what I really wanted… what I've _always _wanted. You."

"What?" she asked, fully unprepared for his confession.

"I mean it Em. I want to be more than friends, more than partners… I want you."

"Derek," she started, grasping for words and logical thought. "We aren't even supposed to be dating. The bureau won't allow it. But even if they did, what would that do to the team, to our work in the field? Or how can you ever trust me after Doyle? How can you be sure that you aren't just saying this because of this week or the kiss or your pain meds? And what if – _what if _– we _did _decide that this really was something but it doesn't work out?" She was terrified and out of breath now. She knew she was making excuses but in her mind, no one should have to deal with her problems – especially not willingly.

"Em… really?" he asked gently. "Number one: I've lost track of how many agents have broken that rule. The Bureau knows it's ridiculous so they don't enforce it. Number two: Don't you remember why I wanted to train with you again? So I could make sure I could focus on protecting you rather than losing you. I'll always be worried something will happen to you but if anything, it would make me focus more on not letting that happen. Number three: I know why you felt you had to go after Doyle. I know that it almost killed you to keep a secret you didn't want to from us, from me. Em, I could never have a reason not to trust you. Finally, number four. And I am surer of this than anything else. I'm not saying this or feeling this because of the kiss or just this week or even the pain meds," he winked with a pointed look at her. "Because Em… I've felt this way long before this week. Even before you were gone I would catch myself watching you… imagining life with you. But I was too much of a coward to do anything about it. So I had to learn the hard way. I had to realize that when you were gone, I had no life at all. I couldn't enjoy going to work and I couldn't enjoy my free time because you were always there. That's when I realized that I have no life without you. So when you came back I realized that I got a chance most people never get and I've got to take it, even if you reject me," he finished. He looked at her, her stunned eyes filling with tears as her lips quivered up at him. "Em, what is it?" he asked. "Please say something."

"I can't," she whispered.

"Why?" he asked with exasperation.

"Because I'm scared," she whispered, eyes facing down towards the floor as tears now flowed freely.

"I'm scared too," he admitted immediately, her eyes looking up at his in question. "I'm scared that if we do this then it will change everything – at work, with the team, in the field, our friendship. I'm scared that one of us will start to think it isn't worth it and give up on what I know will be the best decision I could ever make with my life. I'm scared I could never be enough for someone like you. But you know what? I'm scared of all of that but Em, what I'm scared of most, what makes all of those things irrelevant, it's that I'm scared of how much I love you. I'm scared of what will happen if I don't tell you, if I don't try to tell you and to show you how much I love you…" he took a deep, staggering breath filled with overwhelming emotion as he looked into her eyes and poured out his heart. "Because I got a second chance, _we _got a second chance and I'm scared that if I don't take it once and for all, if I don't do what I should have years ago, I'm scared I'll lose my chance. I'm scared I'll lose you again. I don't… I don't think I could take it. Because… I… I love you Emily."

Emily was stunned. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't find her thoughts, and she couldn't even feel. All she could do was look straight into Derek's eyes – those eyes that had always told her it would be alright on a case, the eyes that could read her like a book when no one else knew what was going on with her, the eyes with which she held her gaze in what she thought might have been her final moments on earth lying on that warehouse floor. And these were the eyes that were now pleading with her to say something, anything. The eyes that reflected the love he had for her and finally had the courage to voice.

He had confessed his love. Now, it was her turn. But she didn't speak. Immediately, her lips were crashing into his. Tears were still flowing down her cheeks – tears of fear, doubt, but now, also joy. The warmth they felt that morning in the snow came back instantly. Their arms wrapped around one another as the kiss grew deeper.

Emily finally pulled back. She wanted to answer, not just in actions, but in words. She leaned her forehead against his as they caught their breath. "I do," she whispered.

"What?" he asked with a giddy smile.

"I love you too," she answered as her eyes moved up to meet his. "All I wanted when I woke up from my fight with Doyle was to tell you. I was too scared. I waited too long and it was too late. You're right. We got a second chance. We shouldn't have but that means there is a reason for it. I'm scared… I'm terrified because in my life, I seem to screw up everything I touch. But I have to try. I get excited to go to work every morning because I get to see you. Then I want work to end as fast as it came so we can spend time together – dinner, movie, a house project, whatever really. I've found myself needing you… and I'm okay with that. Because I love you Derek. I love you too," she smiled as she admitted what her heart has already known.

Derek couldn't contain his joy. He smiled down at Emily, pulling her even closer with his arms, ignoring the pain in his shoulder because of the delight in his heart. This time, it was he who leaned in. He kissed Emily slowly and passionately, savoring the fact that they didn't have to wait any more. The truth was out and it was time to move forward – in the best possible scenario they had each hoped for.

Still entwined, they climbed the stairs slowly and carefully. Their hands never left one another, and neither did their lips. Once they alighted the stairs, Derek steered Emily by the waist to their bedroom. It wasn't long before they were standing at the end of the large bed, kissing as Derek began to reach for Emily's shirt.

Just before he could grab it, the couple heard a small voice behind them. They turned towards the doorway at once to see Maggie staring up at them, holding her stuffed animal tight in her arms. "I'm scared," she whispered. "What if the bad people come back?" she sniffed.

"Oh sweetie," Emily said soothingly as she knelt down and took the girl in her arms. "I promise you that won't happen. The bad people are gone now – the police took them away and they can never hurt any of us again."

Maggie nodded but nervousness was still written all over her face. "Can we stay with you tonight?" At that moment, Carter poked his head around the door beside his sister.

"Of course," Derek spoke up as he reached for he little boy with his good arm. Emily picked up Maggie and the makeshift family snuggled into the bed together for the last time.

The children were quickly asleep, cuddled together between Emily and Derek whose hands were interlocked above the pillows their heads now rested on. Their earlier plans were forgotten as they simply lay looking into one another's eyes. It was Derek who finally broke the night silence.

"I was wrong before."

"About what?" Emily asked curiously.

"_This _is the best present I could have asked for," he smiled sincerely.

She could only smile in return as he leaned over to kiss her one last time that night. They each laid back down as they fell asleep, deep in thought, eyes never leaving each other. The case may have been over, but their future was only just beginning.


End file.
